Henry: An Ideal Monarch?
In the 1590s, there was a very strict ideal of a Monarch. The way an ideal Monarch would be viewed in the 1590s was not far removed from the expectations of a King in the early 15th century. A 15th or 16th century King was expected to be a competent ruler above anything else, but far more was needed to lead the people of Medieval Briton.
The role of the king in society progressed and differed throughout the middle ages, with the introduction of bureaucracy towards the end of the period and a gradual detachment from the Roman empire. Many of the king's duties remained consistent though; a king must be completely devout and devoted to the church and to God.
The loyalty
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These motives could have been the reason why Shakespeare portrayed such a seemingly 'ideal' monarch and such a nationally biased depiction of History. At this time, people would learn most that they learn, and form many opinions from what they saw in the theatre. Therefore, if Shakespeare had wanted to encourage national strength, he would have been on the right stage to do so.
So, if Henry appears to be an ideal king in the play, then perhaps Shakespeare has very purposefully depicted him in this way but perhaps he may not actually be quite the ideal leader he appears to be, especially by people's expectations of a great leader in today's world.
In the prologue to the play, the chorus almost appeals to the audience, and requests that they suspend their disbelief: he says 'Lets us…on your imaginary forces work' and 'Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts. Into a thousand parts divide one man, and make imaginary puissance.' He does this as if to say
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Ely also says that consideration- 'whipp'd the offending Adam out of him.' This extended metaphor suggests that now Henry has severed links with his former friends, who are represented by Adam, he has become the perfect garden, or the Garden of Eden. Perhaps the Garden of Eden represents a perfect Monarch.
Throughout the play, the faultless portrayal of Henry continues. He shows Bravery and tactical Brilliance. At the battle of Agincourt, Henry's outnumbered army defeated the French, causing a total of 6,000 French fatalities. The English army also took around 1,000 French prisoners. In the play it is said that the French armed consist of 60,000 men. The actual figure is something closer to 30,000. Perhaps, Shakespeare didn't know the true number or perhaps he exaggerated the total in order to make Henry look braver and more courageous than he really was.
In conclusion, of this very basic summary of the play, it appears as if Henry's accomplishments make him the ideal king, and Shakespeare certainly depicts him as the ideal ruler throughout the play. There is, however, some evidence that Henry is in fact not the
“The key factor in limiting royal power in the years 1399-1509 was the king’s relationship with parliament.”
For hundreds of years, those who have read Henry V, or have seen the play performed, have admired Henry V's skills and decisions as a leader. Some assert that Henry V should be glorified and seen as an "ideal Christian king". Rejecting that idea completely, I would like to argue that Henry V should not be seen as the "ideal Christian king", but rather as a classic example of a Machiavellian ruler. If looking at the play superficially, Henry V may seem to be a religious, moral, and merciful ruler; however it was Niccolo Machiavelli himself that stated in his book, The Prince, that a ruler must "appear all mercy, all faith, all honesty, all humanity, [and] all religion" in order to keep control over his subjects (70). In the second act of the play, Henry V very convincingly acts as if he has no clue as to what the conspirators are planning behind his back, only to seconds later reveal he knew about their treacherous plans all along. If he can act as though he knows nothing of the conspirators' plans, what is to say that he acting elsewhere in the play, and only appearing to be a certain way? By delving deeper into the characteristics and behaviors of Henry V, I hope to reveal him to be a true Machiavellian ruler, rather than an "ideal king".
After many failed attempts to obtain a divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII took momentous steps that led to "The Reformation," a significant occurrence in the history of religion. Prior to the reformation, all of England's inhabitants including King Henry VIII prescribed to Catholicism. In fact, King Henry VIII was such a strong supporter that he was given the title "Defender of the Faith" by the pope for his efforts in protecting Catholicism against the Protestants. However, all these changed upon the pope's denial of Henry's request for a divorce.
shall firstly do a summery of the play and give a basic image of what
war often, for the sake of his country, but when he did he put in a
The government within the monarchical society was populated by the aristocracy. It was they who were depended upon for directing the course of governmental affairs. The controls of all co...
The father and son relationship is one of the most important aspects through the youth of a young man. In Shakespeare’s play Henry IV, he portrays the concept of having "two fathers". King Henry is Hal’s natural father, and Falstaff is Hal’s moral father. Hal must weigh the pros and cons of each father to decide which model he will emulate. Falstaff, who is actually Hal’s close friend, attempts to pull Hal into the life of crime, but he refuses.
Henry V is not a simple one as it has many aspects. By looking into
The aim of absolute monarchy was to provide ‘stability, prosperity, and order’ for our territories (458). The way Louis XIV set forth to accomplish this was to claim complete sovereignty, to make laws, sanction justice, declare wars, and implement taxes on its subjects. This was all done without the approval of any government or Parliament, as monarchs were to govern ‘by divine right, just as fathers ruled their households’ (458). In Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet’s Politics Drawn from the Very Words of Holy Scripture, he described that absolution was one of the four characteristics imperative to royal authority, “Without this absolute authority, he can do neither good nor suppress evil; his power must be such that no one can hope to escape him” (460). This was epitomized when Louis XIV sought to control the legal system as well as the funding of the financial resources through a centralized bureaucracy for the monarchy.
During this time, the Magna Carta was written and signed. This limited the power of the king and he had to earn approval by the lords before he could make a decision. It also made it so a law can only be passed if it doesn’t go against the Magna Carta. It also implies religion by helping with giving the Church full rights that allows
In the play Henry V written by Shakespeare. Henry was presented as the ideal Christian king. His mercy, wisdom, and other characteristics demonstrated the behavior of a Christian king. Yet at the same time he is shown to be man like any other. The way he behaves in his past is just like an ordinary man. But in Henry’s own mind he describes himself as “the mirror of all Christian kings” and also a “true lover of the holly church.
Monarchy was not at all a new institution in the 15th, 16th, or 17th centuries. It wasn’t even very different with respect to the goals that prevailed in each monarchy. However, the differences between the New and Absolute Monarchy come in the way of the methods, theories, and conditions prevalent throughout the different monarchical reigns.
Henry VI had a lot of weaknesses with foreign policy, his inability to make decisions, patronage, Richard duke of York, finance and evil council. With foreign policy he showed weakness in defending his country, after his father Henry VII had conquered land in France, he lost it. He lost Normandy and Gascony in 1451 due to defeat in France. This affected morale and the incomes of nobles because they had lost, reducing their reputation, especially as they had lost some of their own land, and the incomes went down because money was spent on war, so less money was available to give as income. This could have been a reason for the outbreak of conflict because the people would not have been happy with their situation. Henry's next weakness was his inability to make decisions.
Passage Analysis - Act 5 Scene 1, lines 115-138. Shakespeare’s ‘King Henry IV Part I’ centres on a core theme: the conflict between order and disorder. Such conflict is brought to light by the use of many vehicles, including Hal’s inner conflict, the country’s political and social conflict, the conflict between the court world and the tavern world, and the conflicting moral values of characters from each of these worlds. This juxtaposition of certain values exists on many levels, and so is both a strikingly present and an underlying theme throughout the play.
These types of decisions define why Louis XIII is an important example of the primacy of the king over all other sources of political and governmental power in the 17th century. Certainly, Louis XIII’s rise to power defines the lack of checks and balances that would typically be a part of a lesser monarchy in which the aristocracy could have an influence on governmental decisions. However, this was not the case with Louis XIII, since he had gained complete control over the government through military might and the wealth of the royal family. This historical example defines the primacy of the absolute monarch within the context of the king’s role in governing in 17th century