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Overview
Synopsis
Under sinister pressure from the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the young King Henry the Fifth is lured into claiming much of Medieval France as property of the English Crown. After being insulted by The Dauphin of France, Henry leads a small but brave band of soldiers into a painful and arduous war with France. The war culminates at the Battle of Agincourt where despite being outnumbered five to one, the English forces are rallied by Henry's epic speech and go on to victory. After peace is declared and the treaty is signed, the French king grants Henry the hand of his daughter, Katherine of Volois, in marriage and England and France are united. However, the show ends with the chorus/narrator giving an ominous reminder that the son of Henry and Katherine, Henry VI, will have a tumultuous reign.
Show Information
- Book
- William Shakespeare
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 5
- First Produced
- 1599
- Genres
- Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- 15th century; england and france
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- College/University, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Child, Early Teen, Late Teen, Young Adult, Elderly Characters
Context
Like many of William Shakespeare’s plays, Henry V is very difficult to date with any certainty. The primary source for many of his history plays, Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles, was published in 1587. However, there are some references in the play that place it in the late 1590s. However, the play was entered into the Register of the Stationers Company in August 1600, and the first quarto was printed before the end of the year.
The first performances are also a mystery. Famously, the
to read the context for Henry V and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
ACT ONE
The prologue. The Chorus enters (a lone speaker), wishing that the “wooden O” could portray the “vasty fields of France.” He asks the audience to imagine the great king and battles they are about to witness.
At the English court, the Bishop of Canterbury and Bishop of Ely discuss a proposed bill that would harm the finances and income of the church. In order to secure the church’s financial resources, they decide that it is necessary to support King Henry V’s invasion of France
to read the plot for Henry V and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A sound in battle, often used in stage directions to indicate a fight happening offstage
Weapons
A description or declaration; a display on a coat-of-arms
Referring to life in England under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, 1558-1603.
They exit (Latin)
A London playhouse built in 1599 by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, Shakespeare's playing company.
A genre of play that is based on the narrative of true historical events and people, often considered a subgenre of tragedy.
The right of succession that passes to the eldest son in a family line, which determines the inheritance of estates and royal or noble titles.
A format of printing in which eight pages of text are printed on a single page (four on each side), and then folded and cut to make eight total book pages. Quartos were popular methods of printing plays in the Elizabethan period.
To completely destroy
Trumpet call, used in stage directions to indicate a procession (especially of royalty)
A speech given by a character that reveals inner thoughts only shared with the audience.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress