The Best of Shakespeare..."Henry V"! Quiz

Answer: Henry VI Part 2

"Henry V" is part four in a tetralogy, or series of four plays, about the House of Lancaster. These plays show how Henry Bolingbroke became Henry IV and how his son, Prince Hal, spent his youthful, wild days until it came time to step up to the throne of England.

Answer: Salique Law

After a very lengthy explanation as to how the Salique Law does not apply to Henry because it concerns lands in Germany, not France, the Archbishop tells Henry that he does indeed have the right to invade France. He even goes so far as to say, "The sin upon my head, dread sovereign!" if he is incorrect in this counsel.

Answer: Henry is too young and immature to be king, so he should go back to playing his little games.

Ah, the "Paris balls"! This is an enormous insult to Henry, though he is well aware as to why the Dauphin thought to send this gift. He acknowledges his youthful, wild days, but then tells the French ambassadors that the Dauphin will be very sorry for this insult. Later, in Act II, the Duke of Exeter tells the Dauphin that this gift will cause Henry to "make your Paris Louvre shake for it"!

Answer: All of these are correct.

Shakespeare uses the Chorus to keep the audience abreast of developments in the storyline, as well as for apologizing for the limitations of trying to show these huge events on a tiny, wooden stage:

"Think when we talk of horses, that you see them
Printing their proud hoofs i' the receiving earth;
For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings,
Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times,
Turning the accomplishment of many years
Into an hour-glass: for the which supply,
Admit me Chorus to this history;
Who prologue-like your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play." (Act I, Prologue)

Answer: The three conspirators all tell Henry that he should punish a man whose only crime was too much wine and having railed at the king.

One minute these three traitors are telling Henry that he is being too merciful to this man, whose only crime was drunkenness and shooting off his mouth about the king. The next minute they are begging for mercy for themselves, in spite of the fact that their crime was capital in nature, and would have sold England into oppression:

King Henry -

"God quit you in his mercy! Hear your sentence.
You have conspired against our royal person,
Join'd with an enemy proclaim'd and from his coffers
Received the golden earnest of our death;
Wherein you would have sold your king to slaughter,
His princes and his peers to servitude,
His subjects to oppression and contempt
And his whole kingdom into desolation.
Touching our person seek we no revenge;
But we our kingdom's safety must so tender,
Whose ruin you have sought, that to her laws
We do deliver you. Get you therefore hence,
Poor miserable wretches, to your death:
The taste whereof, God of his mercy give
You patience to endure, and true repentance
Of all your dear offences! Bear them hence." (Act II, Scene 2)

Answer: Macdougal from Scotland

This is a very interesting portion of the play, wherein we meet soldiers who have come to fight for Harry from various parts of Britain. They tend to bicker amongst one another a bit, especially concerning who knows more about the discipline and art of war. However, Fluellen makes sure he gets the last word in:

Fluellen -

"Captain Macmorris, when there is more better
opportunity to be required, look you, I will be so
bold as to tell you I know the disciplines of war;
and there is an end." (Act III, Scene 2)

Answer: October 25, 1415

October 25 was once celebrated by the Catholic Church as the feast day of both St. Crispin and St. Crispinian (according to www.wikipedia.org), twin brothers. They were the patron saints of cobblers, tanners, and leatherworkers.

Answer: a band of brothers

For me, this is the most beautiful piece of Shakespeare's writing...I have to have a tissue handy when I read it, listen to it on tape, or watch it on film! Here is Henry's complete speech, which is in answer to Westmoreland's wish for 10,000 more men from England to help them in this battle:

"What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day." (Act IV, Scene 3)

Answer: Conquering the country, rather than speaking French

Henry tries so hard to convince Katherine of his love for her, despite being told that "the tongues of men are full of deceits". He finally tries to speak to her in French, but she giggles at him because of his poor French:

"I will tell thee in French; which I am
sure will hang upon my tongue like a new-married
wife about her husband's neck, hardly to be shook
off. Je quand sur le possession de France, et quand
vous avez le possession de moi,--let me see, what
then? Saint Denis be my speed!--donc votre est
France et vous etes mienne. It is as easy for me,
Kate, to conquer the kingdom as to speak so much
more French: I shall never move thee in French,
unless it be to laugh at me." (Act V, Scene 2)

Answer: All of these are correct.

It is very sad to think of Henry V dying of dysentery at the age of 34. He might have been a very good king for England, had he had the chance to reign longer.

Chorus -

"Small time, but in that small most greatly lived
This star of England: Fortune made his sword;
By which the world's best garden be achieved,
And of it left his son imperial lord.
Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crown'd King
Of France and England, did this king succeed;
Whose state so many had the managing,
That they lost France and made his England bleed:
Which oft our stage hath shown; and, for their sake,
In your fair minds let this acceptance take." (Act V, Epilogue)