War Reaps Honor
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The Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines honor as "an outward respect or recognition," and as a description of "a person of superior standing, one whose worth brings respect or fame" (Woolf 339). The respect and recognition, or honor, that a leader receives from his country motivates him to unify his people. In Shakespeare's King Henry V, King Henry gives a famous speech to unify his soldiers and inspire them to vehemently fight the French at the invasion of Harfleur (III.i). By motivating his soldiers, Henry stresses the importance and value of gaining honor for one's country. Specifically, he does this by displaying his passion for honor throughout his speech using vivid descriptions and poetic style, while also making references to historical figures and remarks on the patriotic necessity for England.
In order to capture his soldiers' attention, King Henry speaks clearly and stylistically. There are two main metaphors: the tiger and the weapons. Henry introduces the metaphor of the fierce tiger when he commands his soldiers to "imitate the action of the tiger [and]disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage" (III.i.6, 8). Henry chooses the tiger for his soldiers to imitate so they will show a ferocious and predator-like behavior. He also instructs them to "set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide," which encourages them to seem prepared, just as a tiger would when it is about to capture its prey.
In addition to the tiger metaphor, Henry uses symbolism through weapons. The first appearance of the weapon metaphor is in line 5: "but when the blast of war blows in our ears." The words "blast" and "blow" describe a cannon shot (III.i.n5). Henry gives war the character of a canon to make the image of war more dramatic and real. He also advises his soldiers to "... lend the eye a terrible aspect / Let it pry through the portage of the head, / Like the brass canon," (III.i.9-11) to let the soldiers realize that they should be angry and react like a canon when they see the "terrible aspect" of this war. In line 16, he again uses the weapon metaphor when he tells the soldiers to "... bend up every spirit to his full height." The phrase "bend up" refers to the bending of a bow in archery, and "full height" means that the bow bends to its maximum length. Henry uses the image of a longbow as a foreshadowing tool because it was predominant weapon used by the English at the battle of Agincourt, and it eventually led them to victory (III.i.n16). Through Henry's use of these vivid images, he shows strong desire for the soldiers to win the war, thus reap the honor of winning.
Alexander the Great when he states: "Fathers that like so many Alexanders / Have in these parts from morn till even fought" (III.i.19-20). Alexander the Great was the conqueror of the Persian Empire, and because of his battle antics and courage during this war, he accomplished much with his military and won many battles ("Alexander the Great"). Henry feels that Alexander is an excellent example to follow in order for them to succeed in their battle. Like Alexander, Henry hopes to gain this same type of honor. Other than Alexander, Henry also makes a reference to Saint George when he commands the soldiers to "Cry, 'God for Harry, England and Saint George!'" (III.i.34). Saint George is respected from a common legend about his courageous acts through an encounter with a dragon and his religious undertakings within his community. He killed a dragon that threatened a small pagan town, and he converted the people in this town to Christianity ("Saint George"). Henry uses the example of Saint George because he once again wants the same courage and determination that Saint George had to be apparent among his soldiers. By imitating the courage of Saint George, the soldiers can more easily win the war and gain the honor of winning.
Finally, along with references to historical figures, Henry uses remarks of patriotism to encourage his men. In lines 17-20 he commands: "On, on, you noble English, / whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof," to prove that they are capable to fight, as it was capable and proven by their English ancestors. Henry further connects honor and patriotism when he explains to his soldiers that since their fathers (both birth and founding fathers) created them, they now had the duty to imitate them and even be stronger at war (III.i.22-25). In line 26, by saying "whose limbs were made of England," indicates that Henry is instilling their pride and motivation for England. To make the soldiers prove there are worthy enough as Englishmen, Henry claims to them: "you are worth your breeding" (III.i.28). Henry uses the tactic of infusing this patriotism to help the soldiers realize that their land is worth fighting for and giving them more determination. Through the instilment of English pride and patriotism, he reveals the honor of winning the war.
Overall, Henry uses a wide range of effective tools in his speech to arouse and inspire his soldiers. Henry holds a heavy burden of winning this war, and feels that "the outcome of events is decided by his own courage and cleverness" (Marx). Therefore, in his speeches, he uses an effective poetic style with descriptive metaphors, he uses historical figures as examples for the soldiers to follow, and he reminds the soldiers of their background and whom they are fighting for. He knows that one cannot fight for a country and simultaneously gain its respect without having pride and respect for the country itself. It is for this reason that Henry motivates his soldiers and even joins in the battle. Henry gains this respect by being a soldier himself and including himself in the battles, thus unifying his role with the rest of England. The powerful speech clearly shows his passion for the honor and respect that war reaps. As the motivating force, honor leads the men to victory.
Introduction
Analysis
Conclusion
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