Henry is first referred to as "warlike" in the first chorus and this image of him
continues throughout the play. Later, Henry advises the Archbishop to be
careful, "Awakening our sleeping sword of war", which shows that he can be
"warlike " when roused but is also peaceful. When Henry sends a message to
the Dauphin, he tells him "we will in France, by God's grace play a set, shall
strike his father's crown into the hazard and disturb all the courts of France
with chases", this metaphor shows how he will fight and win the war. Henry
also tells us that " I will dazzle all the eyes of France, and strike the Dauphin
blind to look on us" , showing himself as the sun, which gives the idea that he
is in the right, and the war is good. An Elizabethan audience would have
enjoyed this speech of Henry's very much, due to the wit included, and with
the anticipation of war, to them , Henry's attitude to war, and being a soldier
make him a star, but to a modern audience, he can seem unethical.
Henry I who rewarded Richard de Redvers for his su...
Dauphin - RIAT 2007
Dauphin Island-0002Next,
Henry describes with graphic detail what the Dauphin's joke will cause in
France, "Many a thousand widows shall this mock mock from their husbands,
mock mothers from sons, mock castles down, and some are yet ungotten and
unborn that shall have cause to curse the Dauphin's scorn", this adds to the
impression that Henry enjoys war. "Tell you the Dauphin I am coming on to
venge me as I may", this shows Henry thinks of war as a way to gain
vengeance, which would be acceptable to an Elizabethan audience, but
wouldn't be now. The way that Henry links war to tennis, to turn the
Dauphin's insult back on itself would...