Henry V, written around 1599, is Shakespeare's history play about the young English king who invades France and wins the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Stirring speeches, a Chorus that asks the audience to imagine armies and a comic wooing scene make it one of his most popular histories.
The story
Henry, once the wild Prince Hal of the Henry IV plays, claims the French throne. He besieges Harfleur and, with a sick and outnumbered army, defeats the French at Agincourt.
The play ends with peace and Henry's courtship of the French princess Catherine, partly in broken French and English.
The Chorus
A Chorus opens each act, apologising that a small wooden theatre cannot hold the fields of France and calling on the audience's imagination.
The phrase describing the theatre as a 'wooden O' is often taken as a reference to the Globe, built in 1599.
Patriotism and doubt
The night-time scene where Henry, in disguise, talks with ordinary soldiers about the king's responsibility for their deaths adds depth to the patriotic story.
Laurence Olivier's 1944 film, made to lift wartime spirits, and Kenneth Branagh's grimmer 1989 version show these two faces of the play.
Anecdotes
A wartime film
Olivier's Henry V was encouraged by the British government as wartime propaganda and was dedicated to the commandos and airborne troops of Britain.
French on stage
A whole scene of Henry V is written in French, as Princess Catherine takes an English lesson from her maid, an unusual choice for the Elizabethan stage.
Frequently asked questions
Which battle is at the centre of Henry V?
The Battle of Agincourt, fought in 1415.
Who is the Chorus?
A narrator who introduces each act and asks the audience to imagine the scenes.
Who does Henry marry?
Catherine of Valois, daughter of the French king.