Shakespeare's Henry V - A Multi Dimensional Character Analytical Essay by Colby

Henry V, best known for a string of military successes in the Hundred Years War and his victory over France in the Battle of Agincourt, is a well-known figure in history, both for his leadership skills as well as his ruthlessness.  His reign began on March 21, 1413 and ended when he died in 1422.  No doubt, William Shakespeare’s famous play about Henry V has also made this kind a lasting figure in history.  It is, therefore, fitting that we chose paper # 150811, titled, “Shakespeare's “Henry V” - A Multi-Dimensional Character”, as this week’s Paper of the Week on AcaDemon.  This 10-page paper is an in-depth analysis of Shakespeare’s treatment of Henry V and his portrayal of Henry V as a real person with a ‘character stressed across a spectrum’ rather than a static personality.  The paper focuses on Shakespeare’s portrayal of the King as a man of many contradictions, and how this portrayal makes the audience see him as a multi-dimensional and complicated character.  Many lines from the play are cited and analyzed to add support to this insightful review of Shakespeare’s “Henry V”.

This paper presents an in-depth discussion of Shakespeare's contradictory portrayal of Henry V in his play of that name. According to the paper, Shakespeare forces us to look past the man as a politician and war hero, to consider Henry as a complex and ambiguous character, as multidimensional as much as every man. The paper also demonstrates how even as a man in conflict, King Henry always appears to his subjects a man of strength and resolve. These ideas are supported by salient quotes from the text of Henry V. The paper also analyzes various scenes that are considered pivotal in terms of plot and characterization. The paper concludes by stating that Shakespeare's Henry V is a real man whose actions often seemed ambiguous.