Henry VI, Part 1

skills. Henry lives up to what a viewer would expect if they knew the original play. Of course, various facets are added by the actor's own interpretation of the person which always brings a 'nice touch' to the character. As a nice homage to Henry's unbridled…

Shakespeare’s histories do not always effectively convey the truth of the historical matter. Rather, Shakespeare’s histories are more of a political tale of the events. With this said, it is no surprise that Shakespeare delves into the personal lives of the characters he wrote of. Throughout Henry IV (part one) honor and the power that occurs based on whether a person is considered ‘honorable’ is continually displayed through the main characters of Prince Hal, King Henry, Falstaff, and Hotspur…

alive today through the numerous adaptations of his work, each with an unique interpretation of his words. In The Hollow Crown’s version of Henry V Tom Hiddleston breathes life into the long dead King Henry V. Juxtaposition is brilliantly used by director Thea Sharrock to contrast the French to the English, as well as emphasize the passion and turmoil that Henry V experiences. The pinnacle of the polarization between the King and the French is witnessed when comparing French Ambassador Montjoy’s…

Henry V is full of confusion and changing tides. The play opens up with the king Henry V who used to be the wild Prince Hal in Pt. 1 of Henry IV, but now he is a valiant and aggressive monarch who does what is “right” for his English nation. History goes back and forth between who should rightfully have the French crown: the English or the French? The English army also fluctuates between honorable men fighting a glorious war and those who are fearful and doubtful of the war’s necessity. Is this…

In the historical play Henry V by William Shakespeare, we are introduced to the story of a young and mysterious King Henry V of England, and his quest to conquer France under the reign of Charles VI of France. (“Henry V (play)”) details Henry’s life leading up to and following the Battle of Agincourt in the year 1415. From the very beginning, the Chorus portrays Henry as a glorious King who is about to engage in an epic and glorifying battle with the French. However, the Chorus then reveals that…

(Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d; Newworldencyclopedia.org, 2013) His reign begun at the age of 11 with the death of father, King Charles V in 1380, and ended with his own death in 1422 for a total of 42 years. (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d) Due to the age of Charles VI being below the required age for independent rulership, his uncle, Philip the Bold was appointed regent, along with the “council of 12”. (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d; Jervis, W., Hassall, A. and Haverfield, F, 1907) Philip was a…

Mary Tudor was the only child of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. She was born at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, England on February 18, 1516. Mary was alienated from her father after he annulled his marriage with Catherine because of her failure to birth a son. When the annulment was official, Mary was considered illegitimate and deprived of her status to the throne. By the time King Henry VII died, Edward VI took the throne. He was only 9 years old at the time, but died at age…

While historians have debated about Henry VIII’s controversial decision to split England from the Catholic Church, the opinion that Henry was not the one to instigate the process is a rather unknown fact. Anne Boleyn, as a young and healthy girl, planted the ideas for divorce in Henry’s head for a promise of a male heir. When the Catholic Church refused Henry his annulment, Thomas Cromwell suggested a complete break from the Catholic Faith. Nevertheless, while others suggested his major acts as…

The heir of the Henrys is quite known. Numerous amounts of individuals have experienced the ruling of such peculiar kings. Some reigning powerful, others not so much. However, King Henry IV was an exceedingly notable man. Born in 1367 and became a king by 1399, he constructed himself abundantly sophisticated while also maintaining an introverted lifestyle. Described as "secretive" and "distant," King Henry IV conveyed a consistently private personality.i Fortifying his position as king, he…

that Shakespeare was not the true author of the literary works in his name. Evidence corroborating the claim points to multiple suspects, including Edward De Vere and Sir Francis Bacon. Yet understand claims of what is not, there must first be knowledge of what is. William Shakespeare’s exact birthday is unknown, but the documentation of his baptism points toward the 20-25th of April, celebrated on the 23rd. Though there is no record of his education, as that is the case for many of the time…