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Fourth Secret Henry V Background |
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In the following examples, we will see many of these
questions answered, but in many different ways.
We will discuss some people who lived in interesting times, but who were
all faced with the task of ennobling the effort for their followers, of
answering the question "why do we do what we do?" My personal favorite and first up is the story
of Henry V. Or, I should more accurately
say, Shakespeare's Henry V. For those
unfamiliar with the tale, let's set the scene in its historical context.
The year is 1415.
Henry V has been reigning as King of England for two years. At 27 years old, he plans an invasion of France
to expand his holdings there, gained during much of what became known as the
"hundred years war". In August, he leads
an army of some 10,000 men, mostly archers, across the channel to Harfleur, at
the mouth of the Seine river. After a siege lasting a month, Harfleur falls
to the English. The King had not
expected the siege to last that long, and as the campaigning season is already
waning, he realizes he does not have time to follow his original plan. However, he cannot leave without at least a
show of marching through France,
so early in October, he takes his army, now down to some 6,000, on a diagonal
across France towards
English held Calais.
The French, in the meantime, have gathered an army that some
have put as high as 60,000, but that might have numbered slightly more than
half that. They race to intercept Henry
and there begins a long series of marches where Henry attempts to turn the
French and get ahead of them so he has a clear path to Calais.
In the end, he is not successful.
The French manage to plant themselves in front of Henry, in the middle
of the only feasible route to his escape port.
On October 24th, Henry finds he must fight.
Such is the historical background. We do not, however, have specific first hand
accounts of what Henry himself said and did that night or the next day, October
25th, when battle was joined.
Fortunately, we have the greatest playwright in history, William
Shakespeare to give us his version. In
Shakespeare's "Henry V", we have the campaign as seen through the eyes of the
major protagonists, including Henry.
Shakespeare takes us from England, to Harfleur, through the
long marches, and to the campsite of the English on the wet and rainy night
before the battle.
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