Elise Janowicz
Linda Anderson
Shakespeare
September 2009
To Be (A Good Man) or Not to Be
In Shakespeare’s Henry V, King Henry takes on a large amount of responsibility as the
King of England by performing as the leader of the country and a leader in war. He is obligated
to make several crucial decisions throughout the play, putting himself in the position of choosing
between what he thinks is right from a moral standpoint and what is right for his country from an
authoritative standpoint. Whether Henry is choosing with his heart or his head, the fate of
England and his men rests upon his shoulders. The ambiguity of Henry’s character is mysterious
to the audience because of his struggles with being a good, noble man and the temptations of
power.
Henry first enters the play with an important decision to make. He approaches what he
believes to be his trusted peers, Archbishop Canterbury and Bishop Ely, about his claim to
France’s throne. After a lengthy and ambiguous speech from Canterbury, Henry is still unsure
of his right to the title. In fact he is so confused, he must ask for an honest explanation, “May I
with the right and conscience make this claim?” (1.2.96). The vague account from Canterbury
does no good for Henry’s searching mind. He is looking for a direct answer to his question, and
at first, it is not being given to him. Finally, Canterbury becomes specific, “O, let their bodies
follow, my dear liege, / With blood, and sword and fire, to win your right!” (1.2.130-131), and
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the King immediately begins battle plans, “We must not only arm t’ invade the French, / But lay
down our proportions to defend / Against the Scot” (1.2.136-138).
But does Henry approach Canterbury and Ely because he wants to know his right to the
crown, or is Henry greedy for more power and wealth? France is richer than England, and
controlling more land would only make him more powerful. Perhaps Henry already knows what
Canterbury is likely to tell him and is only asking for the sake of having someone agree with
him. But if indeed King Henry trusts Canterbury, can he trust him to tell him what is true or
what the King wants to hear? Considering Canterbury and Ely’s conversation in early Act 1
when they discuss King Henry’s reaction to their bribe, Canterbury certainly does not seem to
have Henry’s best interest in mind. Instead, he is much more concerned about the bill that will
tax the church’s property, “If it pass against us, / We lost the better half of our possession; / For
all the temporal lands which men devout / By testament have given to the Church / Would they
strip from us” (1.1.7-11). Canterbury’s deceiving plot that is meant to distract King Henry from
the bill suggests that he will go to great lengths to save what is important to him, rather than be
honest with his peers.
King Henry strays from his reputation as a good man as he stands before the gates of
Harfleur making violent and gruesome threats with no remorse, “What is’t to me, when you
yourselves are cause, / If your pure maidens fall into the hand / Of hot and forcing violation?”
(3.3.19-21). Here, he plays the part of the medieval king by attempting to lead his army in war,
but he is only using words instead of actions, “I will not leave the half-achieved Harfleur / Till in
her ashes she lie buried” (3.3.8-9). His threats of rape and setting the town on fire are ferocious
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enough to cause the Governor to surrender, but the audience is hesitant to believe if King Henry
would actually follow through with his frightening warning.
It seems that King Henry devises a brilliant bluff that saves him from having to go into
battle with Harfleur. The terrible things he says do not characterize the individual he has
portrayed himself as thus far. In fact, as soon as the Governor of Harfleur surrenders, King
Henry changes his attitude completely, “Use mercy to them all” (3.3.54). In his heart, he knows
that he could never commit such horrific acts, but in order to maintain his status as a warrior, he
somehow had to defeat Harfleur. Additionally, he had standards to live up to because if the
Governor did not surrender, and Henry did not attack, no French city would ever believe the
Kings’ threats again or take him seriously. He took a great risk by anticipating the Governors’
surrender, and it was extremely clever to avoid fighting and losing men.
On the other hand, making such a bluff could be viewed as a weak move because King
Henry felt like he had no other choice. Perhaps he did not think his army was prepared for
battle, was desperate for an alternative, and his plan miraculously worked. Regardless of King
Henry’s true intentions, he does not follow through with his threats and immediately dismisses
the subject. If his head was focused on only glory during his aggressive speech, it seems that his
heart finally cut in once the Governor admitted defeat. Henry desires to be perceived as a great
king, but he also wants to be seen as a good man.
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In Act 4, scene 1, Henry discovers that some of his men do not agree with his call for
battle. For example, after the King attempts to defend himself when he is in disguise, Williams
still stands by what he believes about King Henry’s cause for the war:
But if the cause be not good, the King himself
Hath a heavy reckoning to make, when all those
Legs and arm and heads, chopped off in a battle
Shall join together at the latter day and cry all,
“We died at such a place,”…I am afeard
There are few die well that die in a battle; for how
Can they charitably dispose of anything when blood
Is their argument? Now, if these men do not die
Well, it will be a black matter for the King that led
Them to it; who to disobey, were against all
Proportion of subjection.
(4.1.135-149)
This doubtfulness and lack of trust from his own men causes Henry to reconsider his motives and
contemplate the burdens of being king. His soliloquy simply pities himself because of what he
thinks to be difficult duties and responsibilities of being the King. He feels like he is blamed for
everything, but what he does not consider is that this is the truth, and his responsibility is to
protect his country, which includes his men who will be fighting for him the next day. If it is too
harsh to hear what his people think about him, then why does he desire even more power? His
reasons, or lack thereof, are not appealing enough to his people to gain their support, but he still
chooses to fight for power and wealth instead of taking action that would benefit them the most.
Fortunately, the outcome of the war is for the best, and England celebrates King Henry.
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King Henry seems to have very normal characteristics that are comparable to those of
people in the modern world and probably those of his time as well. Wealth and power are
desires that almost all people have, yet most still want to be viewed as an overall good person.
King Henry is in the spotlight because he is the King, and all of his decisions directly affect
others, putting him at a disadvantage when it comes to the eyes of others. He seems to be
unconsciously aware of the impact of his decisions until he disguises himself as a commoner.
Although King Henry never makes it clear exactly what he is thinking, through his actions the
audience can conclude that he faces and deals with choices to the best of his ability while trying
to remain a good man despite the lure of power. Shakespeare may try to subtly hint that King
Henry cannot be both a good man and a warrior, but clearly Henry exemplifies his best attempt.
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