Henry V: The Background, Strategies, Tactics and Battlefield Experiences of the Greatest Commanders of History Paperback by Marcus Cowper Page A
Authors: Marcus Cowper
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capable to subdue and conquer a country,
by the wisdom of his government, by his
prudence and by the other qualities with
which he was endowed', while Jean de
Waurin, the Burgundian chronicler,
describes him as 'a most clever man and
expert in everything he undertook'.
It is with the Tudors that Henry's
reputation began to be set in stone. The
nature of the Tudors' accession to the
throne of England meant that they were
keen to emphasize the restorative
nature of their rule by denigrating their
15th-century predecessors, so Henry IV
60
is portrayed as a usurper, Henry VI as weak and vacillating and Richard III
as the cruel hunchback of popular imagination. The one exception to
this list of villains is Henry V, whose reputation is enhanced throughout
the period for his supposed embodiment of chivalric ideals and, perhaps
more importantly, his victories over the French. The early years of the reign
of Henry VIII saw the publication of The First English Life of Henry V, which
is largely based upon the earlier work of Tito Livio. It was written in 1513
partly to inspire Henry VIII in his campaigns against France and uses
Henry V as an example for the 16th-century Henry to follow. This idea of This portrait (oil on
Henry as an exemplar of medieval kingship carried on into the Elizabethan canvas) of William
period, and runs through the works of writers such as Richard Grafton Shakespeare (1564-1616)
and is emphasized in one of the most famous works of history of the was painted between 1600
period, Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, published and 1610 and is attributed in 1586-87. Compiled by Raphael Holinshed and others, this work to John Taylor. It is
synthesized a range of 15th- and 16th-century sources and provided a popularly known as the
good source of material for the many dramatists of the period, including Chandos Portrait, after
William Shakespeare.
one of its owners, and was
Shakespeare was not the first playwright to take Henry V as his theme. the first bequest to the
The Famous Victories of Henry V: Containing the Honourable Battle of Agincourt National Portrait Gallery by an unknown author was used by Shakespeare, along with Holinshed on its foundation in 1856.
and other sources, when he came to writing his cycle of history plays that (National Portrait Gallery, has been so influential in preserving an image of Henry throughout the London, UK/The
years. Shakespeare's Henry appears in three plays: Henry IV, Parti, Henry IV, Bridgeman Art Library) Part II and Henry V . The Henry, or Hal,
of the first two plays is a wastrel prince
engaged in dissolute activity with his
drinking companions, while at the same
time supporting his father at the battle of
Shrewsbury when he is in time of need.
The Henry of Henry V is the familiar
charismatic warrior king, encouraging his
troops with 'a little touch of Harry in the
night' and leading them to victory on
St Crispin's Day before wooing the French
princess Katherine. Though Shakespeare
paints a largely heroic picture of Henry, he
does have him giving the order to kill the
prisoners at Agincourt and foreshadows
the temporary nature of his achievements:
Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crowned King
Of France and England, did this king succeed.
Whose state so many had the managing,
That they lost France and made his England
bleed,
Henry V, Ep. 9-12
61
It is this image of Henry as military hero that has
T H E
remained through to the 20th century, reintroduced
C R G N I C L E "
in the age of film through the performances and
direction of Laurence Olivier in his 1944 version
H i f t o r y of H e n r y the fift,
and Kenneth Branagh in 1989. Olivier's version,
c ^ coming at the height of World War II, is perhaps
With his battell fought at Agm Qourt in c
France. Togither with Aunttent s r understandably propagandist, down to its dedication To the commandos and airborne troops of Great
As it
capable to subdue and conquer a country,
by the wisdom of his government, by his
prudence and by the other qualities with
which he was endowed', while Jean de
Waurin, the Burgundian chronicler,
describes him as 'a most clever man and
expert in everything he undertook'.
It is with the Tudors that Henry's
reputation began to be set in stone. The
nature of the Tudors' accession to the
throne of England meant that they were
keen to emphasize the restorative
nature of their rule by denigrating their
15th-century predecessors, so Henry IV
60
is portrayed as a usurper, Henry VI as weak and vacillating and Richard III
as the cruel hunchback of popular imagination. The one exception to
this list of villains is Henry V, whose reputation is enhanced throughout
the period for his supposed embodiment of chivalric ideals and, perhaps
more importantly, his victories over the French. The early years of the reign
of Henry VIII saw the publication of The First English Life of Henry V, which
is largely based upon the earlier work of Tito Livio. It was written in 1513
partly to inspire Henry VIII in his campaigns against France and uses
Henry V as an example for the 16th-century Henry to follow. This idea of This portrait (oil on
Henry as an exemplar of medieval kingship carried on into the Elizabethan canvas) of William
period, and runs through the works of writers such as Richard Grafton Shakespeare (1564-1616)
and is emphasized in one of the most famous works of history of the was painted between 1600
period, Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, published and 1610 and is attributed in 1586-87. Compiled by Raphael Holinshed and others, this work to John Taylor. It is
synthesized a range of 15th- and 16th-century sources and provided a popularly known as the
good source of material for the many dramatists of the period, including Chandos Portrait, after
William Shakespeare.
one of its owners, and was
Shakespeare was not the first playwright to take Henry V as his theme. the first bequest to the
The Famous Victories of Henry V: Containing the Honourable Battle of Agincourt National Portrait Gallery by an unknown author was used by Shakespeare, along with Holinshed on its foundation in 1856.
and other sources, when he came to writing his cycle of history plays that (National Portrait Gallery, has been so influential in preserving an image of Henry throughout the London, UK/The
years. Shakespeare's Henry appears in three plays: Henry IV, Parti, Henry IV, Bridgeman Art Library) Part II and Henry V . The Henry, or Hal,
of the first two plays is a wastrel prince
engaged in dissolute activity with his
drinking companions, while at the same
time supporting his father at the battle of
Shrewsbury when he is in time of need.
The Henry of Henry V is the familiar
charismatic warrior king, encouraging his
troops with 'a little touch of Harry in the
night' and leading them to victory on
St Crispin's Day before wooing the French
princess Katherine. Though Shakespeare
paints a largely heroic picture of Henry, he
does have him giving the order to kill the
prisoners at Agincourt and foreshadows
the temporary nature of his achievements:
Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crowned King
Of France and England, did this king succeed.
Whose state so many had the managing,
That they lost France and made his England
bleed,
Henry V, Ep. 9-12
61
It is this image of Henry as military hero that has
T H E
remained through to the 20th century, reintroduced
C R G N I C L E "
in the age of film through the performances and
direction of Laurence Olivier in his 1944 version
H i f t o r y of H e n r y the fift,
and Kenneth Branagh in 1989. Olivier's version,
c ^ coming at the height of World War II, is perhaps
With his battell fought at Agm Qourt in c
France. Togither with Aunttent s r understandably propagandist, down to its dedication To the commandos and airborne troops of Great
As it
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