Warfare
Because war is the backdrop of the entire play, there is a significant amount of war imagery used throughout. In Henry's declaration of war against France, for example, he details the brutal reality of war in which children are orphaned and women are widowed by the deaths of their fathers and husbands. This recurrent imagery has led many to interpret Henry V as critical of war and ruthlessness. However, there is also an argument to be made that the play presents war as necessary and inevitable, with strong leadership playing an important role in the outcome.
The Sun
Imagery of the sun occurs again and again throughout Henry V, most frequently as a metaphor comparing Henry himself to the power and warmth of the sun's rays. The sun was a conventional image for describing kings on the early modern stage, emphasizing a monarch's power and benevolence.
Animals
The animal imagery that appears in Henry V is closely related to the abundance of war imagery. In order to rally his men during the Battle of Harfleur, for example, Henry tells them to become like the lion – a predatory animal filled with rage. This imagery persists throughout the play as Henry recognizes that his men need a reason to fight and motivation to fight well.
The Insufficient Theater
The Chorus in Henry V seems intent to remind the audience that the theater they are sitting in is fundamentally insufficient for portraying the historical events in the play. The Chorus compares the theater to a "cockpit" early on, asking the audience how a place so small could ever do the battlefields of France justice. As such, the play becomes meta-theatrical as it asks the audience to understand the connection between past and present as well as between history and performance.
