Henry V

8 Pages 2049 Words

d that the master would sell the lives of his countrymen to make a mockery of Henry. This stern speech shows that Henry was a powerful speaker and quick-witted in his decisions. It also shows his fearlessness when facing a powerful opponent.


The movie was quick to show Henry’s strengths as a leader. Upon his ascension to the throne Henry countered an assassination attempt by three close friends who were conspiring against him with France. The movie depicts this act as one of bittersweet ruling: Henry is obviously human as he is emotionally attached to his friends, but his strength as a ruler comes first as indicated by the death sentences he bestows on each of them. This is mostly historically accurate, three high officials did conspire against Henry in the Cambridge Plot: Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Sir Thomas Grey, and Lord Scroop, a personal friend of Henry’s. Henry did sentence all three to death despite his friendship with Lord Scroop. This shows Henry’s strength, but the movie also shows his humility. During the scene in which he hands sentences to his friends Henry is speaking about a man whom he had released from prison. The man’s crime was speaking out against Henry’s coming invasion of France, which would most likely fetch a death sentence in those times. However, Henry pardoned the man because he was drunk when he was raving against the invasion. The conspirators urge Henry to punish the man, but Henry concedes to release the man. This event, though probably fiction...