Henry V

I definitely think this play was really interesting. And I know, shame on me for posting right before class. I'll do better. But back to Henry, one of the themes that stuck out to me was the relationship between the commoner and the monarchy. At times, the distance between these two seemed great, like when Nym and Bardolph died, even though they used to be tight with Henry. Then the distance seemed less great before and during the battle of Agincourt. They were united as a group, fighting for the same cause. 
This issue of the relationship between high society and "commoners" is still prevalent today, even in the U.S. We don't have kings, but we have a president, congress, supreme court, etc. Even celebrities can fall under the high society category. And those not in the positions of power find it hard to back those in power with political issues, national problems, etc. 
But there are times when the nation unites under their leader. In Henry V, it was before their great battle, and for the U.S., one example is when the nation united after 9/11.
Along those lines, I like how in the play it continued to show the vulnerability of Henry as a person, not just a king. Sure he has his kingly responsibilities, but he also has feelings. 
It reminds of my life. I'm not royal or anything, but back home, my dad is Mayor. And he just got re-elected for his third term. However, watching politics take place in my home town firsthand and seeing how people were hatin' on my dad just because he was republican or because he was Mormon, was rough.  And even though my dad had good intentions for the city, because of the difference between a position of power and those without the position, those against my dad couldn't move past that hinderance even though my dad tried to reach out to them. 
Back to Henry V, Henry shows vulnerability and when he goes out to talk to the soldiers, he realizes not all of them have his back. As king, he realizes he needs to gain their support. He wants their support. But as a person, he's a little hurt. 


I feel like I'm rambling a little bit, but point is, I liked the portrayal of one person's humanity in the play. And I definitely appreciate the application of this play that can be used in today's life.