Shakespeare’s Crafting of the Ideal King in Henry V

Henry V;Shakespeare;Hallett Smith Prize;Hallett Smith Prize for Essay Devoted to Shakespeare;Hixon Writing Center

Malladi, Chaitanya Lakshmidhar ; Unknown, Unknown

University:California Institute of Technology

Department:Biology and Biological Engineering

关键词: Henry V;    Shakespeare;    Hallett Smith Prize;    Hallett Smith Prize for Essay Devoted to Shakespeare;    Hixon Writing Center;   

Others  :  https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/9653/1/Chaitanya%20Malladi%20-%20HallettSmith.pdf

美国|英语

来源: Caltech THESIS

【 摘 要 】

[Introduction] In Shakespeare’s history Henry V, the playwright depicts the reign of King Harry—specifically with respect to his claim to the throne of France and his subsequent invasion. In theprequel to this play, Henry IV, Harry is shown as an impetuous young boy who engages inmischief around town with his immature friends. However, by the end of the first part of HenryIV, Harry matures and becomes a brave, strong warrior on the battlefield as well as a courageous,honorable man. He is ultimately portrayed as the rightful heir to the throne. At the beginning ofHenry V, the audience sees a mature king who has been in charge of the kingdom for some timealready. While Shakespeare bases his plays on historical events as documented in works likeRaphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, the playwright uses hisliterary liberty to alter the chronological order of events and even sometimes the actions thatcertain characters take or do not take. Shakespeare’s dramatization of several historical elementsof Holinshed serves to aggrandize the glory and maturity of Henry V as a just, idealized king;with his decisions to change what is written in the history books, Shakespeare highlights the king’s military aptitude, his modesty in dealing with his soldiers and citizens, and his politicalsavviness.