Henry V By Sassoon

In the present day, the idea of conflict is a very controversial and opinionated subject. The majority of modern society understand the havoc and both physical and physiological damage war can cause, although this has not always been the traditional opinion; the approach in Elizabethan times differed vastly from views now, as is reflected in the patriotic Elizabethan play “Henry V” by William Shakespeare. In this essay, I will be comparing this motivating theatrical with three controversial poems from the First World War era; “Suicide in the Trenches” by Siegfried Sassoon (published in his 1918 collection), “Who’s for the Game” by Jessie Pope (originally published in the Daily Mail in 1916) and “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen (published

He often refers to brotherhood in his speeches, especially in perhaps one of the most famous speeches of all time, his St Crispin’s Day speech- making his soldiers feel as if they are all equal, irrespective of status. This is particularly important as hierarchy was a central aspect to Elizabethan society, and so it would have been surprising for the Elizabethans watching the play to think a royal would treat all soldiers equally. However, this may have made them gain respect for Henry, and imagine him as an altruistic and compassionate king. “For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother (...)” is a key line that promotes brotherhood. In this particular speech, Henry uses the idea of a fraternity to reassure and encourage his soldiers. He insinuates to his attentive audience that any men gallant enough to sacrifice themselves during the war, no matter their status, will become so significant to Henry that their shared patriotism will bind them together as strongly as a blood-tie. Also, not only does his inspiring speech embolden the weary soldiers into becoming spiritually stronger, but Henry seems to sculpt each individual into a romantic hero- and convinces them they are the chivalrous warriors typically portrayed in tales of courageous battles and wars. “Then imitate the action of the tiger” instructs the soldiers to fight majestically and fearlessly; the tiger often symbolizes ferocity and

In his poem, ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’, he depicts them as a receding trail of fatigued men drawing back from the Front Line, desperately seeking rest. The general mood of the poem is one of despair; the men achieve no victory, only loss of sanity and health. “Towards our distant rest began to trudge (...)” implies that the necessary respite is at the end of a prolonged journey. The ‘distant rest’ might seem like oblivion; even death would relieve them of this seemingly never-ending conflict. By using the word “trudge”, Owen describes a laborious and difficult trek. The specific meaning states to walk slowly and heavily due to exhaustion or harsh conditions; circumstances these soldiers were typically experiencing- the fields in Northern France had been torn apart by shells and gouged with ugly craters, and the once-fertile land had been churned into a sea of mire. The word “trudge” is associated with weariness, and is actually onomatopoeic as the “dge” sound imitates the dragging of somnolent feet through sludge- it creates a powerful image of the soldiers that are too tired even to escape hurriedly from the danger. The image of the broken soldiers drives away the idea of romantic heroes; these soldiers are just normal men, whose lives have been shattered by the brutality of war, and Owen is telling the audience that war it not the illustrious enterprise they imagine it to be. It is