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... Henry V presents a unified look at the concept of kingship, demonstrating that failure to achieve proper balance between political necessity and human consideration will lead to bloodshed. The political thought which pervade the throughout the play, is that the power of the king and the ideals of the state must overrule human concerns.
Henry V depicts that inherent in the notion of a successful king were attributes reflecting power and authority; nationalism and patriotism; divine rights; justice; prudence; and allegiance to God and the Church. ... Reese iterates that, while every subject had his duties in the state, and there were several subordinate levels of authority, the [King] was the hub of the ‘massy wheel’, and on his character, and claim to the throne, the welfare of the community principally depended. ... That is, for England to be regarded as a great nation and in turn establish the king as a successful monarch – recorded in history as a great leader, decisions aimed at preserving the supremacy of the king must take precedence over individual interest, for example, allegiance to friends.
Once Henry V comes to the throne, at the death of his father, King Henry IV, he knows that in order to be a successful king and as a political necessity he must be able to wield his power and authority over his subjects. ... At Southampton, Henry V has to put to death a dear friend whose ingratitude and betrayal he might as a common man have pardoned. ... 104
Henry V’s rejection of Falstaff is a political necessity and is symbolic example to the state that he is no longer the frivolous Prince Hal their comrade, but King Henry V, their leader and protector. Although his rejection of his close friend and companion could be seen as humanly harsh, as Mistress Quickly says “the king has killed his heart”(I. ... 88), the action is necessary if Henry V is to be the successful king Shakespeare wants to create. In addition to his dismissal of his friends, Henry V must also exert his power and authority by proving to the French king, and indeed his own English subjects, that he is very much capable to win the war against France. ...
Believing that the French have confiscated lands that rightfully belonged to him, Henry V petitions the royalty of France, who not only fail to take him seriously but insult him by sending him a case of tennis balls. Convinced that his status as king of England has been belittled, Henry V dispatches a reply to the Dauphin, inviting him to a game of tennis in France:
We will in France, by God’s grace, play a set
Shall strike his father’s crown into the hazard…. ... Many things in Henry V’s conduct of the war have shown a lack of human feelings.
Approximate Word count = 2334
Approximate Pages = 9.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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