Over the course of Shakespeare's plays about Henry IV and Henry V, the character of Henry V evolves from a reckless young man to a great king and revered hero. In 1 Henry IV, the prince confides to the public that his irresponsible behavior is an imposture which he intends to rid himself of when he becomes king, so that his miraculous transformation will lend all the more glory and wonder to the public figure that he reveals himself as king. Henry's development as he evolves from Prince Hal to King Henry V of England is significant, but incomplete. Despite the apparent perfection of his behavior and courtly manners, traces of the disreputable Prince Hal still emerge in King Henry's behavior, particularly when he finds himself in stressful or emotional situations. Henry V appears to be prone to resort to deception when it is the easiest way to achieve a goal, likely to play petty pranks when the urge strikes, and likely to make rash decisions when angry . These flaws indicate that although Henry has adopted a more regal persona, he is not as different from Prince Hal as he had expected. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The first of Henry's flaws that readers are introduced to is the king's tendency to make rash choices when influenced by anger. In a conference with his advisors at the beginning of the play, Henry debates the validity of his claim to the French throne. He asks Canterbury if England's claims to France are strong enough for them to go to war with the strict injunction to tell the truth, because "never have two such kingdoms clashed without much blood." , whose innocent drops are a misfortune to everyone” (I .ii.24-6). King Henry tells Canterbury that war must only be fought for just and worthy reasons, because it “brings such waste into brief mortality” (I.ii.28). The king gives the impression of a man who places a high value on human life and appreciates the sacrifices inevitable in any war. He and his advisors are still in discussion when a messenger from the Dauphin arrives, bearing a gift from France. King Henry is gracious until the gift is opened to reveal a taunt: a cache of tennis balls. Angered by the implied insult, Henry launches into a speech detailing the different ways in which he will make the Dauphin regret his lack of respect. He swears that “several thousand widows will make fun of their dear husbands; will mock the mothers of their sons, will mock the castles” (I.ii.283-6). This tirade continues to promise violence of the very kind that Henry was warning Canterbury against only moments before. The Dolphin's insulting gift of tennis balls provokes such anger in Henry that he seems to forget his previous reservations about war in the face of his desire to punish the Dolphin. He orders the messenger: “Tell the Dauphin that I am coming to take revenge as best I can” (I.ii.291-2). After Henry receives the tennis balls, the war against France ceases to be primarily about succession and instead takes on the character of a crusade of personal vengeance. Henry's tendency towards irrationality when angry is evident again later in the war, towards the conclusion of the battle. d'Agincourt. At one point, French soldiers sneak into guard duty around the English camp and murder the boys sequestered from the fighting. The king is furious and immediately orders the death of any French soldier taken prisoner. “We will slaughter those we have“, he proclaims, “and none of those we take will taste our mercy” (IV.vii.63-5). Henri also makes poor choices when not in the grip of anger. For example, he tends to resort to deception to achieve his political objectives. The first appearance of this tendency toward deviousness is in Act II, scene ii, when Henry confronts three nobles discovered to be plotting against him: Richard, Earl of Cambridge; Henry, Lord Scrope of Masham; and Sir Thomas Gray of Northumberland. Instead of directly accusing the traitors, the king encourages them to condemn themselves by asking their opinion on how to punish a criminal apprehended the day before for drunkenness. After the three men recommend harsh punishments for the prisoner, Henry gives each of them documents revealing his knowledge of their intended betrayal. As the traitors read the papers which are, in effect, death warrants, Henry teases them by asking, "What do you see in these papers that makes you lose so much complexion?" 'Is your blood no longer visible?' (II.ii.73-76). The sarcastic tone of these comments reveals Henry's genuine pleasure at the deceptive nature of the indirect confrontation he has planned The ploy continues as Henry rebuffs the men's pleas for mercy by referring to their condemnation of the drunkard mentioned earlier in the scene. He tells them that "the mercy which was quick in us but late, by your own counsel, is suppressed and killed” (II.ii.79-80) Because the king had concrete evidence of the three men’s intended treason, they were undoubtedly going to be executed. , then he goes beyond simply condemning the traitors to death by presenting the sentence in a way that makes the three men seem as if they have condemned themselves. In Act III, scene iii, Henry exercises his creative oratorical skills to win the French town of Harfleur After a period of fierce fighting, the town calls for talks to negotiate and King Henry delivers a fiery speech riddled with violent threats. He compares his troops to wild beasts beyond his control and prophesies that if Harfleur does not surrender unconditionally, the men of the town will have to see "the blind and bloody soldier, with a foul hand, defile the hair of your daughters with piercing screams; your fathers taken.” with their silver beards and their very reverend heads thrown against the walls, your naked children spat on pikes, while the mad mothers with their confused howls shatter the clouds..." (III.iii.33-41). Henry's words communicate complete seriousness with the intention to follow through, but his subsequent actions contradict the brutality he preaches during the talks when Bardolph - a soldier and one of the tavern's old friends. of Henry - steals from a church during the march, Henry orders him to be hanged because "when [clemency] and cruelty play out for a kingdom, the gentlest gangster is the first winner" (III.vii. 112-3). These sentiments suggest that Henry wishes to avoid needlessly alienating the French people, a very political move for a king who hopes to become the ruler of France. The facts of the situation in France, as well as the evidence. Later accounts of Henry's punishment of Bardolph indicate that Henry's threats outside Harfleur were never more than a bluff. The speech, although dishonest, proves to be an effective strategy for taking the city without further bloodshed. On one occasion, King Henry practices deception for reasons that in no way benefit England or the pursuit of justice, but simply for his own amusement. The day before the battle.