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Henry V's Opaqueness

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In Shakespeare's Henry V, King Henry V possesses a unique set of character traits. Because of his strong sense of leadership, Henry V is able to hide his true feelings in order to be a strong and powerful king; his ability to disguise his own individual character for the sake of the kingship earned Henry V the title of "The Opaque King." Henry V uses his opaqueness as a quality of versatility in order to lead his men to victory against the French.
During act IV, Henry V has successfully lead his troops in an invasion of France. However, their biggest battle is yet to come, and the odds of the English winning their upcoming battle seem bleak at best. Not only do the French have more troops, but they also have the upper hand due to the battle's taking place in France’s territory. King Henry sees these odds and decides to disguise himself as a fellow fighter to assess …show more content…

He talks to several members of his army, but comes across one man in particular, Williams, who is overtly doubtful of the King's intentions and ability to win the upcoming battle. When Henry (disguised) tells Williams the King claimed he would not be taken for ransom, Williams says, "Ay, he said so, to make us fight cheerfully; but when our throats are cut, he may be ransomed and we ne'er the wiser"(IV.i.143-145). Rather than exposing his true feelings here, Henry V decides to confront this man at a move suiting time. He disguises his true feelings of anguish and isolation and expresses them privately in a monologue (IV.i.229-282). Because he was able to disguise his body, approach his men discreetly, hear their private thoughts while putting his own aside, and asses his men's feelings from a civilian and kingly point of view, he was able to fully evaluate the prognosis of the following battle. However, Henry V continues to use this emotionally

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