William Shakespeare s Henry V, King Henry And The French...

What constitutes honor in society? In Henry V, King Henry and the French invoke its constitution to incite men into war. Although the reasons that the English and French countrymen fight differ, the thought of honorably serving their countries stands alone as enough impetus to thrust both onto the battlefield. But how can honor command such incentive? The answer stems from individualistic pride. The characters in Henry V see how, as a collective, society has objectively agreed that service to one’s country merits honor, but each character, as an individual, chooses to strive towards that honor because of his or her own pride. This notion of individualistic pride—both consciously and subconsciously—drives daily action. And in Henry V, the insidious intent of pride eclipses the known vicious nature of war. The motivation for King Henry to wage war on France, the subsequent response of France’s leadership, and the action of the English countrymen emanates fro m the notion of honor, but how each individual responds to the desire to fulfill his pride ultimately shapes â€Å"the field of Agincourt† (4.7.86). Henry V illustrates how honor and pride craft the nature of war. King Henry’s yearning for honor and the challenges to his pride that he receives from his wild younger days instigates him to pursue war with France. He understands the magnitude of war, even probing the archbishop of Canterbury’s argument to challenge the Salic law: â€Å"For God doth know how many now in health / ShallShow MoreRelatedA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pages Introduction to the Picatrix (The Aim of the Sage) of al-Majriti, Maslamati ibn Ahmad II. Summary of the Contents of the Picatrix III. Excerpt from a Lecture on Alchemy by Terence McKenna On the Moon and the Lunar Mansions IV. Extracts on the Moon V. The Mansions of the Moon: â€Å"On the Creation, Proportion and Composition of the Heavens for the Fashioning of Images † VI. The Picatrix: Lunar Mansions in Western Astrology VII. W. B. Yeats and â€Å"A Vision:† The Arab Mansions of the Moon On Ritual and TalismansRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesand permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers