Henry V

William Shakespeare’s play is based on the historical life of Henry V, the facts of which were known in Shakespeare’s lifetime and formed part of accepted knowledge. To maintain authority and credibility, Shakespeare stays broadly true to the historical facts but adapts and alters much of the character and meaning of the detail, a good deal of which he invents for his own artistic purposes. Henry V does not serve as historical evidence for the time it depicts but is a reflection of the political and cultural ideals at the turn of the 16th into the 17th century.

King Henry V (1386-1422) is a pivotal figure in English history, renowned for his military successes. Henry V gained military and political experience during the turbulence of his father’s reign: His father, Henry IV, seized the throne in 1399, leading to a period of instability. Prince Henry demonstrated political acumen and military prowess from an early age, putting down significant uprisings across England and Wales. Henry took on increasing power as his father’s health declined and disagreements between father and son often caused conflict. Like much of the historical framework of the play, the fact of this familial conflict is reflected in Shakespeare’s dramatic depiction, although the dynamic of it is reversed.