henry v · shakespeare

Shakespeare's history of 1599 shows the reformed prince Hal as king, invading France, rallying his outnumbered army at Agincourt and winning a kingdom and a bride. It is the most celebratory of the histories and also the most double-edged, asking what a just war is, what a king owes his soldiers, and how much of kingship is performance.

William Shakespeare, Henry V, edited by Claire McEachern (Penguin Books, 2017). Read in full, Junior Fall at Torrey Honors.