King Henry V by William Shakespeare

The book is King Henry V by William Shakespeare. I have no idea when it was first published. I read the Arden Shakespeare edition Third Series by Bloomsbury Publishing. I read it in June of 2025. 

The title is the subject of the play King Henry V, king of England in the 15th century. 

I read this because I want to read more Shakespeare and because we read the Henry V biography by Dan Jones in my book club recently. I knew about the Shakespeare play from high school and college but I’d never read it. I became more aware of the character of Henry V from the history podcast The Rest is History by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. They did a series on Henry V and I thought it was extremely fascinating. I’ve been a fan ever since. 

In this play, Shakespeare paints a portrait of a real man. Every man should learn from Henry V. He is a true hero. 

Shakespeare’s Henry V is different from Dan Jones’ historical figure and I have to say, I like Shakespeare’s Henry V more. Through Shakespeare’s Henry IV part 1 and 2, Henry V (or Hal as he’s known to his friends) is depicted as a wild young man who goes out carousing with his friends Falstaff and Poins. He spends most of his time in taverns and alehouses, goofing off and getting drunk. Real frat boy energy. And as Shakespeare shows it, this is mostly an act to cover Henry’s insecurities and self doubt about his abilities to rule. He knows he is heir to the throne and the pressure of that weighs heavy on him. So he downplays it and shows little interest in learning how to be a good king after his father. 

However, Dan Jones says this picture of the young Henry V is not accurate. 

“He sends away his former friends, whom in Shakespeare’s rendering include Sir John Falstaff, and, just in time, knuckles down to the serious business of rule. This is an attractive story, and in Shakespeare’s hands it is masterfully told. But it is a dramatic exaggeration drawn from a scrappy patchwork of evidence.” (Dan Jones, Henry V, p182)

Shakespeare’s play is an attractive story because it’s so relatable. The fear of failure can be crippling. When we’re faced with a serious challenge it’s extremely tempting to just not even try. If you don’t try then you can’t fail. But the truth is that we’ve already failed. We fail constantly in the most important mission we’ve been given as human beings, pleasing and honoring God. 

Romans 3:11-12, 23

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.

 …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Sin literally translated means “to miss the mark.” Like an archer failing to hit the target, we fall short and miss the mark in pleasing God. From Adam to ourselves, we’ve all sinned. This is the worst failure we can experience and the consequences are hell and wrath forever. No matter what area of life we fail in, school, work, marriage, parenting, or even being king of England, no failure will ever be as devastating and heartbreaking as our failure to please God. 

In Henry’s case, his fear of failure was mostly due to the massive pair of shoes (boots?) he had to fill in his father Henry IV. Henry Bolingbroke was an effective and strong king. He successfully usurped the weak Richard the II and claimed rule for himself against overwhelming odds. He built a successful kingdom and everyone loved him for it. Henry V had to step into that great success and keep it afloat. 

Our king is Jesus Christ. Talk about shoes (sandals?) to fill. Matthew 5:48 says “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Perfect! We’re supposed to be perfect. How’s that going?

We are called to be as self-sacrificing and humble as Christ (Phil 2:5). We are called to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). We are told to follow the example of Christ in compassion and forgiveness (Eph 4:32). With these requirements, the path of sanctification seems impossible and it is in and of ourselves. In our own power, failure is a guarantee. But as Christians, we do not live in our own power. We have God the Holy Spirit, the Helper inside us helping us follow the example of Christ. 

We have no bigger failure than our sin against the perfect and righteous God. If God can solve our sin problem, he can solve our money problem, or our marriage problem, or our health problem. 

Having the Holy Spirit within us should embolden us to try anything. He will give us the wisdom and discernment to navigate any issue in our lives. 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8)

Shakespeare’s young Henry V is a double-minded man. Yet even this pagan found the courage to step up to the challenge. Shakespeare isn’t explicit about the catalyst that gives Henry the courage to lead when his moment comes. His inspiration is attributed mostly to the death of his father and it’s likened to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

“CANTERBURY

The courses of his youth promised it not. The breath no sooner left his father’s body But that his wildness, mortified in him, Seemed to die too; yea, at that very moment, Consideration like an angel came And whipped th’offending Adam out of him, Leaving his body as a paradise T’envelop and contain celestial spirits. Never was such a sudden scholar made, Never came reformation in a flood With such a heady currence scouring faults, Nor never Hydra-headed wilfulness.” (1.1.21)

Henry grows up, puts away childish things and becomes a man. His father, Henry IV is the one that said “Heavy hangs the head that wears the crown.” Young Henry experiences the weight of responsibility as soon as he puts that crown on his head. There is no flash of inspiration, no dramatic realization of some elusive truth. He just starts doing the job and his attitude changes to what it needs to be. You can’t put a bicycle chain on without pedaling the wheels. Fear of failure is solved by the grace of God and action. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Analysis paralysis is a failure on its own. 

Shakespeare is always a little confusing to read. There are so many references and turns of phrase that we don’t understand in a different historical context and because Shakespeare sometimes just makes things up. 

The feeling and tone of this play is inspiration and encouragement. It’s so refreshing to see explicit heroism. We don’t see this blatant unapologetic manliness in our entertainment today. That might be part of the reason we don’t see it in our men today either. 

Henry V is a man’s man. A hero’s hero. A magnanimous stud. All men should try to be more like Henry. He’s not without his faults. You wouldn’t want to be his captive in a war. And he was Catholic. The main villains he faced were himself and the French. So the lesson is stay out of your own way and fight the French. 

I’d recommend this play to all men. There are so many inspirational quotes. From “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more” to “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” So many great lines. It’s still Shakespeare so be prepared for that. It can get difficult to read so I’d go with an edition with lots of footnotes that explain what things mean. I went with The Arden Shakespeare, but there are a lot of different versions. I highly recommend this play. We need more heroes to admire and Henry V is definitely that hero. 

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Quotations

CANTERBURY

The courses of his youth promised it not. The breath no sooner left his father’s body But that his wildness, mortified in him, Seemed to die too; yea, at that very moment, Consideration like an angel came And whipped th’offending Adam out of him, Leaving his body as a paradise T’envelop and contain celestial spirits. Never was such a sudden scholar made, Never came reformation in a flood With such a heady currence scouring faults, Nor never Hydra-headed wilfulness (1.1.21)

“”””

Ely

And so the Prince obscured his contemplation Under the veil of wildness, which, no doubt, Grew like the summer grass, fastest by night, Unseen, yet crescive in his faculty. (1.1.81)

“”””

King

Therefore take heed how you impawn our person, How you awake our sleeping sword of war: (1.2.33)

“”””

KING

We are no tyrant but a Christian king, Unto whose grace our passion is as subject As are our wretches fettered in our prisons: Therefore with frank and with uncurbed plainness Tell us the Dauphin’s mind. (1.2.250)

“”””

KING 

And tell the pleasant Prince this mock of his Hath turned his balls to gun-stones, and his soul Shall stand sore charged for the wasteful vengeance That shall fly with them; for many a thousand widows

Shall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands, Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down, And some are yet ungotten and unborn

That shall have cause to curse the Dauphin’s scorn. But this lies all within the will of God, To whom I do appeal, and in whose name

Tell you the Dauphin I am coming on

To venge me as I may, and to put forth My rightful hand in a well-hallowed cause. (1.2.279)

“””””

PISTOL

Sword is an oath, and oaths must have their course. (2.1.90)

“”””

PISTOL

Trust none;

For oaths are straws, men’s faiths are wafer-cakes, (2.3.54)

“”””

KING

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more, Or close the wall up with our English dead. In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and húmility; But when the blast of war blows in our ears, Then imitate the action of the tiger:

Stiffen the sinews, conjure up the blood, (3.1.7)

“”””

KING

the King is not bound to answer the particular endings of his soldiers, the father of his son, nor the master of his servant; for they purpose not their death when they purpose their services. (4.1.169)

“”””

KING

Now if these men have defeated the law and outrun native punishment, though they can outstrip men, they have no wings to fly from God. (4.1.165)

“”””

KING

What infinite heart’s ease 

Must kings neglect that private men enjoy! (4.1.234)

“”””

KING 

What’s he that wishes so?

My cousin Westmorland? No, my fair cousin:

If we are marked to die, we are enough

To do our country loss, and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honour, God’s will, I pray thee wish not one man more. By Jove, I am not covetous for gold, Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; It earns me not if men my garments wear: Such outward things dwell not in my desires. But if it be a sin to covet honour

I am the most offending soul alive. No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England. God’s peace, I would not lose so great an honour As one man more, methinks, would share from me, For the best hope I have. O do not wish one more!

Rather proclaim it, Westmorland, through my host, That he which hath no stomach to this fight,

Let him depart; his passport shall be made And crowns for convoy put into his purse. We would not die in that man’s company

That fears his fellowship to die with us. This day is called the feast of Crispian.

He that outlives this day and comes safe home

Will stand a-tiptoe when this day is named

And rouse him at the name of Crispian. He that shall see this day and live old age Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours, 4 And say “Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.’ Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars, And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day. Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot But he’ll remember, with advantages, 5 What feats he did that day. Then shall our names, Familiar in his mouth as household words, Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,

Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered. This story shall the good man teach his son, And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by From this day to the ending of the world But we in it shall be remembered, We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition.

And gentlemen in England now abed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day. (4.3.20)