How Is Henry V A Christian King

King Henry VIII was one of the most powerful rulers in the fifteenth century, who had a very captivating life many people are not aware of. Most people know Henry VIII as a berserk king with too many wives, but there is more to Henry VIII than that. Many few people know about his life and what he truly contributed to our world. Henry VIII was an almighty leader in England who won’t soon be forgotten.

What is Henry implying when he says that he is loyal to "the majesty of heaven...above all earthly kings"? What tone (manner in which an author expresses his attitude) does this statement hold?

By comparing the “majesty of heaven” to “earthly kings”, Henry is appealing to ethos, or the audience’s concept of ethics.

Not only does Henry share his glory with God, but also with his royal subjects and all of England. In Act 1, scene 2 he tells the ambassadors of France that "We are no tyrant, but a Christian king"(241). The fact that he shares his

One language device Henry applies to his speech was developing an ethical and credible profile of himself. He this by associating himself with a divine and righteous deity. Henry says that, “...I should consider myself as guilty… of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings” (36). He acknowledges and respects God as an authority figure when mentioning God being above all. All other kings (including King George of England) are below God. This creates an ethical and credible characterization of Henry in the eyes of the audience. Since many colonists were religious, they almost certainly would pay more attention to a man who respects God. Talking about God also gives a reason to rebel. Henry states that the colonists will not fight alone and that, “There is a just God… who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us” (38). This statement implies that Henry believes God is on the side of the colonists if they fight. Asserting that God will help the colonists fight is an appeal to the ethics of the audience because Henry connects fighting to the will of God. With a Christian audience, connecting himself to Christian ideals promotes Henry’s ethical standing.

Many English monarchs believed in the divine right to rule. This right was given to them by God, therefore they believed that no one could take their crown or it would destroy the rightful line of succession. However, this was not always the case and some kings such as Richard II had their crown forced from them. If a king believed in the divine right he often had a close relationship with God. In William Shakespeare’s comedies, the divine right to rule a kingdom is present in the ways in which Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V are come to rule England. Both Richard II and Henry V were powerful rulers, whose ruling was heavily dictated by their divine right to rule and their relationship with God. Through exploring the King’s relationship to God in Shakespeare’s tragedies Richard II, 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry IV, and Henry V, one can see that Henry V is the ideal Christian King.

Two of the important characters in Shakespeare’s Henry V are King Henry V, and the Dauphin. Henry V is the ruling monarch of England who, in the previous plays of the tetralogy, was presented as a riotous youth and troublemaker. This former life ultimately becomes a preparation for his sovereignty, and his earlier experiences of immaturity and unprincipled living allow him to understand his common subjects and to measure his own sense of worth by their lack of honorable qualities. With the ascension to the throne, the rowdiness of the king vanishes entirely and he promises his subjects that his life of wild living ended with his father’s death, and he is now a completely reformed person altogether. The main purpose of Henry V is to convey the idea that King Henry represents in all aspects the model of the ideal Christian ruler. Various scenes depict his religious nature, his mercy, pity, and compassion, his absolute sense of justice, his administrative skill, his fighting ability, his instinctive nobility, his ability to connect with the common class of soldiers and people, his self-discipline, evenness of temper, complete courtesy, and finally his role as a romantic lover in the suit of Princess Katharine’s hand in marriage.

Henry the VIII was the second English Tudor king, after his father, Henry VII. He reigned over England from, 21st April 1509 until, 28th January 1547. During his childhood and his first marriage, Henry was a firm believer of the Catholic Church and of the Pope. However things changed and later in Henrys reign the English reformation came to England; the monasteries were closed and Henry separated himself from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry was definitely starting to look more and more like a protestant. There are many points that we can use to decipher whether or not Henry VIII was really Catholic or Protestant and in this essay these points will be discussed to draw a conclusion.

King Henry V, is one of the only successful monarchs in Shakespeare’s plays. He displays great strength and intelligence. King Henry V is capable of uniting all of his people in his St. Crispin’s Day speech as they prepare to go to battle. The troops were greatly outnumbered and believed they had no chance at winning. But King Henry makes them feel like they are part of something important, and by doing this he motivates them to fight their hardest.

Among the upper classes, he proved over and over again that he was not a good king. He rarely, if ever, participated in Parliament, and often did not attend sittings of the king's council. When the council sat at Westminster, Henry usually managed to be somewhere else (Storey, 35). These actions give a picture of a king who, though solicited for his opinions, did not want to get involved in the

This passage has quite a different tone than the one just a few pages later, where Henry is praying for Catherine: "Don't let her die. Oh, God, please don't let her die. I'll do anything for you if you won't let her die...Please, please, dear God, don't let her die"(330). Henry's priorities have obviously shifted a great deal since the scene at the campfire. He has become more eager to let God into his life. What events caused this drastic change in Henry's attitude? One obvious turning point in his life during the war was the interrogation by the carabinieri. Henry has to jump into the river to

         Henry V, written by William Shakespeare, is by far one of his more historically accurate plays. This play is the life of young King Henry V, who ascended to the throne after his father, Henry IV's death. These times were much different for England, as Henry V was a noble lord whom everyone loved, whereas angry factions haunted his father's reign. Shakespeare portrays a fairly accurate account of the historical Henry V, but certain parts are either inflated"deflated, or conflated to dramatize Henry V as a character suitable for a Renaissance audience.

In other words, Henry is saying that despite his contrary view on the situation in Great Britain, he highly respects the audience’s opinion. Additionally, Henry alludes to the Bible several times throughout his speech. At the time, most Americans believed in some sect of Christianity. Also, the people were more religious compared to today, which means almost everybody would understand the Biblical stories alluded to by Henry. For example, he explains how the British deserve no trust as it would eventually lead to “betrayal with a kiss”. Going back to the Book of Luke, Judas betrayed Jesus by kissing him, which signaled to the Romans that he was the person who they wanted to capture. The use of commonly known Biblical allusions transforms the speech into a conversation with the audience, where the issue is compared to something with which everyone is familiar. Overall, this ability to empathize with an audience makes them feel important, and, thus, they feel obligated towards the

In Henry V, Shakespeare clearly shows that powerful speech and eloquent rhetoric is more effective in times of war than threat of sharp swords and numerous soldiers. King Henry V - the young and bright king of England - establishes himself as a devout leader to his country and his people. Throughout the story he demonstrates his ability to articulate in order to manipulate his audience, whether it be commoners, enemies, or friends. After an argument with the Dauphin of France over land claims, Henry gathers an army to invade French territory. Following a surprising march through the country against all odds, the king and his soldiers find themselves in a five to one battle, destined to fall defeated. The character of King Henry is exemplified

Henry V is a wise and loyal king, changing from a wild youth to a mature king. He is described to be an intelligent, thoughtful and an efficient statesman. He thinks carefully whether to invade France or not which represents his responsible character. King Henry gives a very strong speech which gave courage and confidence to his army that they could win the battle. This character describes him to be a king of great ability to fight and having good administrative skills. Throughout the play Henry’s nature is religious, merciful and compassionate.