“Can this cockpit hold
The vasty fields of France? or may we cram
Within this wooden O, the very casques
That did affright the air at Agincourt?"
Throughout Henry V, the Chorus reminds the audience that what they are watching is merely a representation of history, and that the theater itself is incapable of reproducing historical events with great accuracy. Here, at the beginning of the play, the Chorus gestures toward the broad scope of the play – notably, the large battle at Agincourt – and acknowledges the stage as simply a "cockpit," unable to recreate the narrative exactly. In drawing attention to the appearance of the stage, the Chorus consistently reminds audiences of the connection between the past (large-scale war) and the present (their entertainment within the relative safety of the early modern theater).
"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."
At the beginning of the play, characters are intent to comment on the transformation they have witnessed in King Henry. Here, the Bishop of Canterbury explains that Henry's wild youth disappeared the moment his father died and he became king. The Bishop therefore suggests that youth comes to an end in two major ways: death, and the assumption of power.
"And tell the pleasant Prince this mock of his
Hath turned his balls to gunstones, and his soul
Shall stand sore chargèd for the wasteful vengeance
That shall fly from them."
At the beginning of the play, the Prince of France sends Henry an insulting "gift" – a bag of tennis balls, suggesting that he is unfit to rule and that he should instead return to his wild past playing games with his friends. Henry's response to this affront is notable because it is in no way reminiscent of his reckless and immature past. Instead, he responds in a kingly manner (a ruthless one, but kingly nonetheless) and threatens war and destruction against the Dauphin.
“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 humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood."
Henry delivers this quote to his men at the Battle of Harfleur. Here, he argues that valor means different things at different times: in peace, a man should be humble and still. But in war, a man must be a "tiger." When Henry tells his men to "stiffen the sinews" and "summon up the blood," he is encouraging them to become predatory and strong in order to win the battle. However, this quotation could also be applied to Henry's own transformation from a wild youth to a ruthless and ambitious leader.
“I think the king is but a man, as I am: the violet smells to him as it doth to me.”
When discussing the king (himself) with the common soldiers before the Battle of Agincourt, Henry makes this remark about the king's nature. Whether Henry believes he is just the same as his soldiers or not, this comment is a calculated move, as it motivates the soldiers to want to fight under the pretense of sharing a similarity with their king. Though the common soldier will never be on equal footing with the king, Henry's comments suggest that he takes their service seriously and recognizes their own sacrifices in war.
“Every subject’s duty is the king’s, but every subject’s soul is his own.”
Here, Henry expresses a nuanced understanding of kingship, arguing that though his subjects serve him in duty, they still maintain their own free will. This is just one example of Henry exhibiting the balanced and complex perspective of leadership that makes him an effective ruler: he does not see his subjects as simple servants he can control, but recognizes that his decisions as king affect everyone on an individual level.
"...in gross brain little wots
What watch the King keeps to maintain the peace,
Whose hours the peasant best advantages."
After walking among the soldiers, Henry returns to his camp alone, still dressed as a commoner. Here, he expresses his distress and anxiety over his duty as king, recognizing that his decisions have major consequences. Though Henry is by most accounts a decent ruler, he is here plagued by the pressure of leadership. It is significant that this speech occurs just after he visits his soldiers, as it suggests Henry's understanding that his actions have real consequences for people whom he will likely never encounter again.
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me”
Shall be my brother."
This is perhaps one of the most famous quotes of not only Henry V, but of all of Shakespeare's plays. In his speech before the Battle of Agincourt, Henry tells his soldiers that anyone who fights alongside him will be his "brother." Again, Henry exhibits a profound understanding of patriotism, emotion, and community. He presents himself not as a king ordering the soldiers to fight, but instead as an equal united in a common goal.
"Rather proclaim it presently through my host
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart."
In this quotation, also from the speech before the Battle of Agincourt, Henry stands in stark contrast to historical precedent. Normally, soldiers were commanded to fight and had to obey; deserters were captured and executed. Here, however, Henry asserts that anyone who does not wish to fight is free to leave, as there will be more honor to bestow among a smaller group of soldiers. Of course, Henry does not actually desire a smaller army, but he uses this abstract concept to rally his soldiers into a shared goal so that they stay beside him.
"Your majesty came not like yourself. You
appeared to me but as a common man; witness the
night, your garments, your lowliness."
Here, Williams describes seeing Henry in common clothing just after Henry plays an innocent prank on him. This quotation suggests that Henry has not, perhaps, given up his sense of boyish tomfoolery altogether (in preceding plays, Henry loved dressing up in disguise and playing pranks on his friends). Indeed, Henry dresses as a common soldier in order to speak with members of his army in a candid manner. Thus, the play suggests that despite his deftness in leadership, Henry maintains some of the youthful energy that he exhibited before he inherited the throne.
