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Two Points Of View Of Warfare In Shakespeare's Henry V

303 Words2 Pages
after re-reading some passages of Henry V, I noticed that Shakespeare presents two points of view on the topic of warfare throughout the play. On one hand, war is the means through which Henry can achieve his goal, i.e. invade France and claim the French throne, but, on the other hand, it has terrible consequences. In various passages, war is presented as being ennobling and patriotic. The clearest example is Henry’s famous St. Crispin’s speech, where he insists that the men who fight alongside him will become his “band of brothers” (4.iii.62) and that their victory will bring England honor and glory. However, Henry is a soldier and, therefore, he knows and has experienced the ugly effects of warfare. In his speech in Act 3, Scene 3, Henry
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