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A review by english_lady03
Henry V by William Shakespeare
5.0
It's rare for me to actually read a Shakespeare play, in its original form. I once made a resolution to read his entire series of eight History Plays Richard II- Richard III. I made it to halfway through Henry VI part II- though I have seen all of them.
Henry V was one I read years ago, deciding it was time to read the text my all-time favourite movie I'd watched so many times was based on.
I think it can be said, with all honesty, that Henry V is comparable to a modern novel. It's not just about the charismatic young Plantagenet King and his famous Agincourt Campaign in 1415, though that is the basis of the plot. There is a little bit of almost everything: political intrigue, heroism, courage, camaraderie, intense emotion, and even a smattering of romance and humour (some of it is a little bit rude, to be honest, much of it went over my head, as it was mostly double entendres in French anyway).
There is a good reason why the Agincourt speech is one of the bard's most famous and has been borrowed from many times- including by Churchill. 'We few, we happy few, we band of Brothers' is what Henry calls his small, depleted army on the day of Battle.
In truth, I almost don't mind that Henry probably did not really say it, and the play is historically accurate enough in most other details. Every nation has heroes, and this play helped make Henry one of England's. Besides that, it's just a cracking good yarn.
If you really can't bring yourself to read any Shakespeare, at least watch an adaptation of this play. Preferably the one from 1989 starring Kenneth Branagh, which is the best version in my opinion and that of many others, or the one from the BBC from 1979, the only version which does not cut out anything.
Henry V was one I read years ago, deciding it was time to read the text my all-time favourite movie I'd watched so many times was based on.
I think it can be said, with all honesty, that Henry V is comparable to a modern novel. It's not just about the charismatic young Plantagenet King and his famous Agincourt Campaign in 1415, though that is the basis of the plot. There is a little bit of almost everything: political intrigue, heroism, courage, camaraderie, intense emotion, and even a smattering of romance and humour (some of it is a little bit rude, to be honest, much of it went over my head, as it was mostly double entendres in French anyway).
There is a good reason why the Agincourt speech is one of the bard's most famous and has been borrowed from many times- including by Churchill. 'We few, we happy few, we band of Brothers' is what Henry calls his small, depleted army on the day of Battle.
In truth, I almost don't mind that Henry probably did not really say it, and the play is historically accurate enough in most other details. Every nation has heroes, and this play helped make Henry one of England's. Besides that, it's just a cracking good yarn.
If you really can't bring yourself to read any Shakespeare, at least watch an adaptation of this play. Preferably the one from 1989 starring Kenneth Branagh, which is the best version in my opinion and that of many others, or the one from the BBC from 1979, the only version which does not cut out anything.