Henry VHenry V

Making a KingMaking a King

Making EnglandMaking England

Making England ProudMaking England Proud

York

Lancaster

Tudor

Tudor Rose

Elizabeth I, the "Pelican" portrait, c. 1572

Nicolas Hilliard

History PlaysHistory Plays

22ndnd Tetralogy Tetralogy Richard IIRichard II Henry IV Part 1Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2Henry IV Part 2 Henry VHenry V

Act I Henry’s Claim to FranceAct I Henry’s Claim to France Act II Henry’s Preparations and the NetAct II Henry’s Preparations and the Net Act III Henry’s Progress Harfleur to AgincourtAct III Henry’s Progress Harfleur to Agincourt Act IV Henry’s Band of Brothers & “God’s” VictoryAct IV Henry’s Band of Brothers & “God’s” Victory Act VAct V To the Victor go the Spoils To the Victor go the Spoils

(All of France & Princess Katherine)(All of France & Princess Katherine)

15991599

Tiny Island of Tiny Island of EnglandEngland ProtestantProtestant

Mighty Spanish Mighty Spanish ArmadaArmada CatholicCatholic

I need a Hero!I need a Hero!

Make Your Own QuizMake Your Own Quiz

Choose 1 (A, B, or C)Choose 1 (A, B, or C)::

A)A) What is the significance of What is the significance of the “Tudor Rose”? the “Tudor Rose”?

  

B)B) How did the Tudor’s use How did the Tudor’s use religion to justify their religion to justify their position?position?

C)C) How did the historical How did the historical situation of England in 1599 situation of England in 1599 influence the creation and influence the creation and production of production of Henry VHenry V? ?

Choose 1 (N or H)Choose 1 (N or H)::

N)N) Give a brief definition of Give a brief definition of New Historicism.New Historicism.

H)H) Explain a specific passage Explain a specific passage of of Henry VHenry V from a New from a New Historicist perspective.Historicist perspective.

Finding Meaning Finding Meaning oror

Making MeaningMaking Meaning

What is this?What is this?

A Rabbit?A Rabbit? Or A Duck?Or A Duck?

How can it be both?How can it be both?

Rabkin’s “Either/Or: Rabkin’s “Either/Or: Responding to Responding to Henry VHenry V” ”

Either a “Mirror of all Christian Kings” (II.0.6) Or a cynical play about a ruthless and hypocritical Machiavellian tyrant

Both?Both? Thus Rabkin identifies Thus Rabkin identifies Henry VHenry V’’s ’’s

“ultimate power [as] precisely the “ultimate power [as] precisely the fact that it points in two opposed fact that it points in two opposed directions, virtually daring us to directions, virtually daring us to chose one of the two opposed chose one of the two opposed interpretations it requires of us.”interpretations it requires of us.”

Rabkin describes Shakespeare’s Rabkin describes Shakespeare’s “‘terrible subversiveness’ in “‘terrible subversiveness’ in undermining the play’s ostensible undermining the play’s ostensible message, in a view of the play message, in a view of the play which has its theatrical counterpart which has its theatrical counterpart in Trevor Nunn’s account of the in Trevor Nunn’s account of the 1964 production of the Royal 1964 production of the Royal Shakespeare Theater as an Shakespeare Theater as an interpretation which saw a play-interpretation which saw a play-within-a-play, a hidden play which within-a-play, a hidden play which amounted to a passionate cry by amounted to a passionate cry by the dramatists against war” (Smith the dramatists against war” (Smith 4).4).

Both a “celebration of Henry’s rule” or scathing critique/analysis of “bellicose power mongering”

The New Historicist’s 4The New Historicist’s 4"enabling presumptions” "enabling presumptions”

l) l) Literature is historicalLiterature is historical, a social and cultural construct shaped , a social and cultural construct shaped by more than one consciousness—not the sole product of one by more than one consciousness—not the sole product of one mind/authormind/author

2) 2) Literature is part of general human activityLiterature is part of general human activity-situated in a -situated in a historical milieu—not a distinct category of human activity. historical milieu—not a distinct category of human activity.

3) 3) Man himself is a social constructMan himself is a social construct, the product of , the product of social/political forces— history is a series of "ruptures" social/political forces— history is a series of "ruptures" separating people of different periods irretrievably from one separating people of different periods irretrievably from one anotheranother

4) As a consequence, the 4) As a consequence, the historian/critic is trapped in his own historian/critic is trapped in his own "historicity"historicity”—trapped by his own historical situation.”—trapped by his own historical situation.

Reconstructing “Ideology”Reconstructing “Ideology”

With these enabling With these enabling principles, “the best a principles, “the best a modern historicist modern historicist approach to literature approach to literature can hope to accomplish, can hope to accomplish, according to Catherine according to Catherine Belsey, is "to use the Belsey, is "to use the text as a basis for the text as a basis for the reconstruction of an reconstruction of an ideology.”ideology.”

D. G. Meyers “The New D. G. Meyers “The New Historicism in Literary Study”Historicism in Literary Study”

H VH V: A War Time Play?: A War Time Play?

1599 Topicality1599 Topicality Out of Fashion Out of Fashion

Major Revivals 1775 Major Revivals 1775 French Indian War/Seven Years War French Indian War/Seven Years War

“Franco phobia”“Franco phobia” Harfluer: Harfluer: “Cry God for us! For England! “Cry God for us! For England!

And for King And for King GeorgeGeorge! !

((Gentlemen’s MagazineGentlemen’s Magazine) ) (Smith 18-19) (Smith 18-19)

Victorian Turn of the Century Victorian Turn of the Century Henry/HeroHenry/Hero ““Jingo Henry” G. B. ShawJingo Henry” G. B. Shaw Boer Wars (1880-81, 1899-1902)Boer Wars (1880-81, 1899-1902)

““Afric for Ireland” Chorus, Act VAfric for Ireland” Chorus, Act V

WW I RevivalWW I Revival New Psychological Criticism of “WAR” New Psychological Criticism of “WAR”

“Discovered” in “Discovered” in H VH V

According to Gerald Gould’s “A New Reading of Henry V” in According to Gerald Gould’s “A New Reading of Henry V” in 1919, “None of Shakespeare's plays are so consistently and 1919, “None of Shakespeare's plays are so consistently and thoroughly misunderstood as thoroughly misunderstood as Henry VHenry V and one is tempted to and one is tempted to think that there is no play which it is more important to think that there is no play which it is more important to understand. Irony is an awkward weapon. No doubt the irony understand. Irony is an awkward weapon. No doubt the irony Henry VHenry V was meant to ‘take in’ the groundlings when it was was meant to ‘take in’ the groundlings when it was first produced; had it failed to take them in, it would have first produced; had it failed to take them in, it would have invited bitter and immediate unpopularity, but Shakespeare invited bitter and immediate unpopularity, but Shakespeare can scarcely have intended that the force of preconception can scarcely have intended that the force of preconception should, hundreds of years after his death, still be preventing should, hundreds of years after his death, still be preventing the careful, the learned, and the sympathetic from seeing what the careful, the learned, and the sympathetic from seeing what he so definitely put down. he so definitely put down. The play is ironic” The play is ironic” (Smith 45).(Smith 45).

““It had taken a devastating war for the It had taken a devastating war for the explicit discovery in this most martial of explicit discovery in this most martial of plays of a coded, ironic warning against plays of a coded, ironic warning against warfare” (Smith 45).warfare” (Smith 45).

War Time Again--WWIIWar Time Again--WWII

Olivier, on stage and in a one man Olivier, on stage and in a one man show in military camps “geared to show in military camps “geared to whip up patriotism” whip up patriotism”

Olivier: “By the time I got to ‘God for Harry…’ I Olivier: “By the time I got to ‘God for Harry…’ I think they would have followed me anywhere. think they would have followed me anywhere. Looking back, I don’t think we could have won the Looking back, I don’t think we could have won the war without ‘Once more into the breach…’ war without ‘Once more into the breach…’ somewhere in our soldier’s hearts” (Olivier somewhere in our soldier’s hearts” (Olivier On On ActingActing 66). 66).

1944: Olivier’s Film1944: Olivier’s Film

American Critic James Agee:American Critic James Agee:

““I am not a Tory, a I am not a Tory, a monarchist, a Catholic, a monarchist, a Catholic, a medievalist, an Englishman, medievalist, an Englishman, or despite all the good that or despite all the good that it engenders, a lover of war, it engenders, a lover of war, but the beauty and power of but the beauty and power of this traditional exercise was this traditional exercise was such that, watching it, I such that, watching it, I wished I was, thought I was, wished I was, thought I was, and I was proud of it” and I was proud of it” (Smith 53). (Smith 53).

How Does Branagh Open the Play?

How Does Olivier Open the Play?

A Rabbit or a Duck?A Rabbit or a Duck?

Film Report: Discovering the Film Report: Discovering the “Rabbit or the Duck”“Rabbit or the Duck”

Watch the end of both the Olivier and Branagh films.Watch the end of both the Olivier and Branagh films. Explain Explain how the films present similar or different how the films present similar or different

images of Henry. Use images of Henry. Use specific detailsspecific details from the films from the films (cutting or including elements of the original text, (cutting or including elements of the original text, staging, lighting, depictions of violence, etc.) to staging, lighting, depictions of violence, etc.) to support your claims. support your claims.

An exemplary report will also use New Historicism to An exemplary report will also use New Historicism to explore how the specific time periods of each film explore how the specific time periods of each film might have shaped the films. How did Olivier’s WWII might have shaped the films. How did Olivier’s WWII production influence his depiction of Henry, for production influence his depiction of Henry, for example? example?

Making a MiracleGod’s Hand in a Good King

Estimates of the French forces range from 8,000-150,00

Commonly accepted numbers are 6,000 English vs. 30,000 French and Burgundian troops

God’s retributionSt. Crispin Crispianus Day 1 Year before-French Massacre at

Soissons

Rabkin, Normin. “Rabbits, Ducks and Henry V” Shakespeare Quarterly

28 1977. 279-296. Print.