Happy St Crispin Day Eve!!

[merithyn]

Kenneth Branagh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-yZNMWFqvM&feature=youtu.be

[jimmy olsen]

One of the great speeches of all time. 

[Eddie Teach]

My friends in high school got a lot of mileage out of that "we few, we happy few" line. 

[merithyn]

It's one of those few speeches that give me goosebumps.

[Sheilbh]

One of the great speeches of all time. 

By a war criminal

Edit: Also I loved Tom Hiddleston's version in the Hollow Crown

[jimmy olsen]

One of the great speeches of all time. 

By a war criminal

I think you're taking your criticism of Shakespeare a little too far there.

[Sheilbh]

It's the title of a very, very good essay:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/286675.Henry_V_War_Criminal_

But the text isn't that comfortable. Until the Napoleonic wars it was (after King John) the least performed Shakespeare. Most modern productions rejig the ordering of the scenes (or cut the controversial ones entirely) so we've a rather positive, upbeat view of Henry V that isn't borne out in reading the play.

[jimmy olsen]

I knew who you were referring to of course. However calling Henry V a war criminal is quite overwrought. By modern standards all 15th century kings were war criminals, so unless they were constructing pyramids of skulls like Tamerlane it's hardly worth noting.

Of the Shakespeare plays I've read I enjoyed Henry V the most.

[Sheilbh]

I knew who you were referring to of course. However calling Henry V a war criminal is quite overwrought. By modern standards all 15th century kings were war criminals, so unless they were constructing pyramids of skulls like Tamerlane it's hardly worth noting.

You should read the essay it's very good.

But they don't judge him by modern standards. Contemporary views of war were that once you'd surrendered and offered your ransom you were safe and under that soldier's protection.

Henry gives this order:
But hark, what new alarm is this same?
The French have reinforced their scattered men.
Then every soldier kill his prisoners.
Give the word through.

Immediately after that Fluellen comes on. He's talking about the French attack on the baggage boys, but the juxtaposition is striking. His lines which immediately follow that order are:
Kill the poys and the luggage! 'tis expressly
against the law of arms: 'tis as arrant a piece of
knavery, mark you now, as can be offer't; in your
conscience, now, is it not?

His companion says the order to kill the prisoners (also against the law of arms at that time) was given in response to the attack on the baggage boys, but we know it wasn't. We've just seen Henry give the order because 'the French have reinforced' and in cold blood. Later on Henry changes his story when he's with more people. He says he wasn't angry and until the French attacked the train. But we know that's spin.

This was something that early critics of Shakespeare spent a lot of time trying to explain away. How and why did Henry break the rules of war? As I say it's something many modern productions get around by jiggery-pokery and cutting or moving scenes.

Personally and, from memory this is Sutherland's argument, I think the point is made with Fluellen and Gower in the same scene. Fluellen compares Henry to 'Alexander the Pig' who killed his 'best friend'. Gower says, our king's nothing like that. Here's Fluellen's response:
It is not well done, mark you now take the tales out
of my mouth, ere it is made and finished. I speak
but in the figures and comparisons of it: as
Alexander killed his friend Cleitus, being in his
ales and his cups; so also Harry Monmouth, being in
his right wits and his good judgments, turned away
the fat knight with the great belly-doublet: he
was full of jests, and gipes, and knaveries, and
mocks; I have forgot his name.
Gower. Sir John Falstaff.

Killing the prisoners is like turning away Falstaff. It may make Henry a great and terrible king but it doesn't make him very likeable to the audience. He breaks the rules of law and, according to Mistress Quickly, his rejection kills the most popular and loved character in Shakespeare.

As I say until the 19th century this was the second least performed Shakespeare play, while Henry IV 1 & 2 were among the most performed. I think part of that is because those audiences weren't so keen on Henry the king, who'll break the rules of law and kill those in his safekeeping, as they were on Prince Hal and Falstaff.

[The Brain]

More to the point his bitch had crazy genes.

[merithyn]

A 5-year old gives the St Crispin's Day speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL6DQZYPBeU&feature=youtu.be

[CountDeMoney]

A 5-year old gives the St Crispin's Day speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL6DQZYPBeU&feature=youtu.be

If I had a kid, I'd get him to reenact the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.  Yeah.

[Razgovory]

It's a shame you aren't a father.    The world is just not just.

[CountDeMoney]

No kidding, right? 

I dunno, though.  If I really had a kid, I wouldn't have a problem training it to use the litter box, that's easy.  Comes natural and whatnot.

Meh, who are we kidding.  It would probably die like all the other houseplants I've ever had, forgetting to water it and stuff.

[The Brain]

No kidding, right? 

I dunno, though.  If I really had a kid, I wouldn't have a problem training it to use the litter box, that's easy.  Comes natural and whatnot.

Meh, who are we kidding.  It would probably die like all the other houseplants I've ever had, forgetting to water it and stuff.

Gor.