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from Scene i and finished. The King takes a formal account of the losses of the French. He continues his march to Calais and returns to England.

Act V. Peace.

Prologue. Chorus tells us of Henry's return after Agincourt, of the rejoicings of England, and of negotiations for peace.

Scene i. The English are still in camp in France. Captain Fluellen shows the braggart Pistol in his true colors.

Scene ii. The French and the English kings meet for discussion of terms of peace. While the lords and commissioners, on either side, discuss the details, Henry has half an hour with the Princess Katharine, whose hand in marriage he asks now after the war as he had asked it before. The other terms are agreed upon and the play ends.

Such is the subject-matter of the play. Dramatically it is quite clear that the single line of action comes to its climax in the Battle of Agin- Summary court, and is composed to a satisfying issue opment. in the declaration of peace and the marriage of the King.

We may state the topics thus:—

of devel

Act I. Introduction (Sc. i) and explanation (Sc. ii) of the main motive, the Campaign in France.

Act II. Development of the motive: preparation for the Campaign. The scenes are humorous (Sc. i, iii) and serious (Sc. ii, iv) in turn. Act III. Continuation of the motive: the Campaign. The English are successful at Harfleur (Sc. i, ii, iii) and the bridge of Ternois (Sc. vi), but the French have gathered in force at Agincourt (Sc. vii). Act IV. The climax of the main motive: the Battle of Agincourt, the Crowning Point of the Campaign. We have the Preparation (Sc. i, ii, iii), the Field of Battle (Sc. iv), and the Defeat of the French and Victory of the English (Sc. v, vi, vii, viii).

Act V. Conclusion of the motive: the End of the Campaign (Sc. i) and the Treaty of Peace (Sc. ii).

This is a simple and natural dramatic development. It has beginning, continuation, climax, and end. It has hardly anything that can be called an Dramatic episode: even III, iv has close enough rela- structure. tion to the main theme to be called a part of it; V, i,

perhaps, has least to do with the main action. In general the different acts clearly present the phases of the action. There are two or three points which are not clear. Why, for instance, should the French preparation for the battle be in Act III and the English in Act IV? But these are slight matters; in general we may say that we have a single action developed to a crisis and brought to an end, and a far more simple and regular action than is common in Shakespeare's histories. The different periods of the action are marked and emphasized by the prologues to the acts, and the whole motive grows steadily in the mind and comes to a sufficient close.

If we look to another important element, namely character, we shall not find very much of importance beside the figure of the King himself. Henry IV had three characters that were interesting, the

Characters.

King, the Prince, and Hotspur, besides one of the very first order, Falstaff. But in the later play Henry IV, Hotspur, and Falstaff are dead and there are none to fill their places. The English and French nobles are little more than slightly indicated figures; Bardolph and Nym are survivals only. The only real characters of interest beside Henry are Fluellen and Pistol. Of Henry V not much need be said. As is indicated in the Archbishop's speech, Shakespeare means to present an ideal King, a man with faults, but perfectly conscious of his duties and using all his great powers to fulfill them. Shakespeare rarely drew such a figure, the practical man of action, the kind of man that makes the world go. Such men do not give such good material for the drama as men of greater passions and greater faults, like Romeo, Hamlet, Lear. In Theseus, Shakespeare seems to give us

a glance at such a man, in Fortinbras he hints at him, but in Henry V only does he present him fully.

To summarize, then, we have in Henry V a play in which the action is simple and developed without refinement or complication, in which the characters are

sufficient and wholly in harmony with the Summary. dramatic motive, but whose striking quality

is the sonorous and effective poetic rhetoric in which, as in the note of a trumpet, presents itself this dramatic embodiment of English greatness.

The performance of Henry V by the Ben Greet company of players, on a stage of the Elizabethan fashion, offered an interesting confirmation of the views just expressed of the rhetorical, declamatory character of the play. This performance was in striking contrast with the elaborately scenic productions, of which there have been several in recent years. The stage was a plain hall, the furnishings were of the simplest, the costumes were of the Elizabethan fashion with the addition of typical pieces of armor: realism was, in fact, at its lowest point. Yet under these circumstances, in fact, because of them, the poetry in the piece showed itself at its true worth. There were no pauses between the acts and the fine poetic rhetoric rolled on with the effect on the imagination that a noble panorama would have made on the eye. With everything taken away that belongs especially to a modern performance, the intrinsic quality of the play was easily seen and readily appreciated.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ir may be serviceable to add a few of the most available helps to one who would not only enjoy Shakespeare, but study so that one may enjoy the better. In general, Dowden's Shakespere Primer presents a great deal in a very convenient form. The best general book is Mabie's William Shakespeare. The best biography is that by Sidney Lee. Most suggestive of the studies of the growth of Shakespeare's genius is Dowden's Shakespere: His Mind and Art. The aids to linguistic study are Bartlett's Concordance to Shakespeare, Schmidt's Shakespeare Lexicon (3d edition by G. Sarrazin), Abbott's Shakespearean Grammar, or for those who read German, Franz's Shakespeare-Grammatik. Richard Grant White's Studies in Shakespeare presents, besides a critical study of several individual plays, a clear exposition of the periods of the poet's work and a complete discussion of the Shakespeare-Bacon controversy. As to the text there are many library editions, the "Riverside," from which our text is taken, being as good as any and better than most. Very useful to the reader is Bell's Reader's Shakespeare in three volumes, in which the plays, somewhat cut down, it is true, are presented with such suggestions for reading and emphasis as often do much to bring out the meaning.

NOTE

THIS edition of King Henry the Fifth presents the text and notes of the Riverside Edition. In a few cases Mr. White's notes have been omitted, but as a rule they will be found verbatim, marked W. Of the additional notes, some give meanings that have changed since Shakespeare's day, in order to carry out Mr. White's plan of giving the meaning of obsolete words. Such a help is quite necessary to the student who does not wish to distract his attention from the poetry every moment to gain linguistic information. But besides these, it has seemed well to add notes on the dramatic purpose of scene, action, and character, and on the poetic significance of phrase or speech. These matters are also touched upon in the Introduction, but the notes give especial applications. All references to plays are given in the numbering of the Riverside Shakespeare.

E. E. H., JR.

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