![]() ![]() In the bones of the play itself, which is to say, in the events and themes he dramatizes, Shakespeare establishes a parallel with the first half of the Book of Joshua in fact, the events in Jos. Shakespeare, however, deigns to leave us with some resource in discerning his own judgment of this enigmatic king. The perplexity set before us in the play is no doubt appropriate, being rooted in the perplexity of Henry V himself. Walter presents the argument? Or, is he one of the craftiest of Machiavels, which is the more popular opinion of scholars such as Steven Marx and Roy Battenhouse? And yet others, such as Norman Rabkin, argue that Shakespeare wishes to encounter Henry as an enigma, forever impenetrable. ![]() Is Henry a paragon of Christian kings, as J.M. Indeed, for all of the learning, piety, nobility, and wisdom for which he has become renowned since ascending the throne, is he truly pious, truly just? This puzzle has divided critics of the play. "Never," the Bishops declare, "came reformation in a flood / With such a heady currance, scouring faults." Yet the man who donned the wolf's clothing so well is hard to trust in his new, seeming goodness, and thus Henry's virtue remains a difficulty. However, judging Henry's true character has proven frustratingly difficult to readers and critics because Henry possesses a singular talent for appearing other than he really is. To discern the character and virtues of Henry Monmouth, the titular character of Shakespeare's Henry the Fifth, we must look at what he says and does. ![]()
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