Symbol: Tennis Balls
At the beginning of the play, the Prince of France (also known as the Dauphin) sends Henry a crate of tennis balls that symbolize Henry's wild and reckless youth. The Dauphin means to insult Henry by implying that he is unfit to rule and that he should instead return to playing games with his friends, as he did in his boyhood. Instead, Henry responds with anger and determination to invade France.
Symbol: Accents
A number of characters in the play speak English with noticeable accents like Welsh, Scottish, and Irish. Over the course of the play, this variety of accents comes to symbolize England's relative diversity. The fact that the majority of characters who speak with accents are also members of the nobility and/or close to the king also renders accents a symbol of England's tolerance and democratic state under Henry V's reign.
Motif: Transformation
One motif that dominates the first half of Henry V is that of transformation, specifically Henry's transformation from an immature and reckless youth to a calculated and effective king. Most characters seem to think that at the moment he became king, Henry left his boyish ways behind him. However, scholars have noted that there are a number of instances in the play in which the more mischievous elements of Henry's youth reappear even as he rules England and invades France.
Motif: Commoners and Kings
Throughout the play, there are a number of parallels drawn between the nobles in Henry's court and the common people of England. The clearest example of this motif occurs when Henry disguises himself as a common soldier in order to walk among those who will fight alongside him. The connections that the play draws between royalty and regular people emphasizes Henry's own speeches about equality and brotherhood in war, as well as the play's more general interest in democracy and diversity.
Symbol: The Sun
The sun was a common symbol in early modern drama, often used to describe kings and other leaders who were of supreme importance to a nation. In Henry V, numerous characters (including the Chorus) compare Henry to the sun, emphasizing his leadership role, his strength, his transformation from a wild youth to a successful monarch, and his warmth as he leads his countrymen to war.
