Henry V's Speech Before The Battle Of Agincourt

Throughout Henry V’s speech to his men before the Battle of Agincourt, he demonstrates the many ways in which he makes all of his men feel valued despite their social or military rank. The setting of his speech takes place in England where the heavily outnumbered English are fighting against the favored French army. The day of the battle was a holiday called the “Feast of Crispian”.

During the speech Henry says general references that apply to all of the men like “gods will” and “our country”. He uses the phrase “we” and “our” a lot as well to signify that all of the men are fighting together on the same side. Henry used multiple ties to the “Crispian” holiday which applied to all of the men too.

Henry makes the higher classed people feel valued by calling them out individually. SInce there are less “lords” or “nobles” than the lower classed people Henry

He tells them multiple times that out of all the people in England they are the ones fighting here when he says that “ He which hath no stomach to this fight, Let him depart”. Then Henry goes on to talk about how your sacrifice, whether you live or die, will be worth it later in life or the afterlife in his quote “From this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall remember'd”.

Henry’s speech, no doubt inspired the men in his army to defeat a heavily favored french army in the battle of Agincourt. Henry had acquired his ability to appealing communicate with people of all parts of society through his childhood, growing up with the lesser members of society, and his adulthood having to deal with and persuade the leaders or nobility of society. But most importantly, Henry believed or seemed to believe the words he was saying so that his soldiers would all be on the same page with their leader and win the