Henry V by William Shakespeare Play Analysis

Throughout your life you must make decisions that will test your character.  You may be able to choose whether or not you want to go down a certain path.  Other times you will not get the option and will have to push yourself in ways you never imagined, bettering yourself just to survive in this world.  Sometimes greatness will be thrust upon you, some can rise to the occasion while others crumble under the pressure.

In Shakespeare’s “Henry V”, Henry is used to show how a leader must put duty and fairness above friendship.  Before Henry became king, he was always known as someone that didn’t have a care in the world.  He did exactly what he wanted no matter the consequences. He was a wild and very irresponsible drunk.  Once the king, Henry’s father, died, it would become Henry’s responsibility to take over in his place.  The people of England became worried as to what would follow.  As time goes on, Henry continues his way of life, lying, stealing, and drinking.  The king sees what path is son is going down and starts discerning if the crown should go to another heir.  As Henry’s father nears death, Henry tells him that he will be able to take on the responsibility of becoming king. His father is very doubtful but tells him he must always listen to his trusted advisors, and he has to unite the English lords through a war. 

Henry is crowned king even though everyone continues to question his ability to handle the thrown.  Henry soon gets tested on his character.  One of his friends from his past arrives at the kingdom, instead of being welcomed by the new king he is greeted by a nasty speech, warning him to stay away and to change his evil ways.  Henry acts very cold hearted to his long loved friend only to show his trusted advisors that he means business.  His advisors show that they respect him because of it.  Henry had shown he was ready to put duty and fairness above friendship.  Many times Henry is placed in situations where he must decide whether or not he chooses feelings over obligations.  Throughout the entire play Henry grasps some very good qualities of a leader, he also learns how to have mercy and show fairness.  He matures as a king all because he chose to quit his old ways and take on the responsibilities of a good king. He is thrusted into becoming a ruler and thrived in the new environment as a leader.  He showed he was a good leader by always putting his kingly duties above his old friendships.  He earned the respect of his advisers and made new trustworthy and faithful companions for life.  In our day in age, you must choose well respected people to have fighting at your side.  Everyone needs to be pushed in the right direction, if no one is helping to better you then it will be 10x harder to do it by yourself with no one holding you accountable for your actions.  Because of Henry’s decisions to ditch his old friends, it was a step in the right direction to become a better king and majorly assisted him at being successful when defeating the French in war.

 A good ruler must be able to put his emotions to the side, Shakespeare states, “In peace there's nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility; but when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger; stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, disguise fair nature with hard-favor'd rage.”   Being a good ruler is about putting others before oneself.  It is about accepting every trial that comes your way and handling it to the best of one’s ability.  Do not coward away but embrace every obstacle that you must face.  A leader should be intelligent, strong, caring and devoted to his people.  Everyone has a different opinion on what qualities make up a good ruler, most all believe that a leader should help their nation grow and thrive.  A king’s main job was to look out for the welfare of the people in his nation.  He had to lead the army in times of war, he had to be the final judge or highest court of appeals in judicial matters, he was God's representative or steward to the nation, and he would enforce the laws and hold every person accountable to them.

In one’s everyday life one may reach a point where they are asked to step into a leadership role, whether that be in their own home, at work, ect.  One must take into consideration what qualities they will need to achieve and what next steps they will need to take to continue their growth as a ruler or leader.  One has to not only act as a leader but must think like one as well.  To become a leader one does not have to be elected as such, a king on the other hand, is either assigned the position from birth or is elected by the people.  A king must be someone who provides example, guidance, and direction.  Just the title of being king will never make someone a true leader; rather their qualities and actions instead.   To be a good ruler the first step is to put effort into developing your skills, keep authority and compassion balanced and show everyone that you're worthy of their trust.

A great king will always continue to push his people and armies to the best of their ability, they will flourish each and every day.  A king should never stop bettering themselves, perfection is impossible to reach which allows one to never have to give up trying to be the greatest.  Work hard, stay determined, and be honest.