Finishing Henry V

Having been a doubter of Henry in both King Henry IV and the beginning of this play, I find that I like him better at the end of this play. I thought he was shifty and phony but it seems that he really did grow up. There were a number of situations in which I really believed you could see him evolve. For instance, in Act Four there are a number of scenes in which he really raises the morale of his army. In the prologue, it says that he goes to individual soldiers cloaked in the night and “Bids them good morrow with a modest smile/ And calls them brothers, friends and countrymen.” And later, the chorus refers to him as “A largess universal like the sun” when his soldiers look at him and are hopeful. So Henry accomplished his goal of being “like the sun” in King Henry IV after all and he didn’t even know it! Then, in scene III, when standing on the battle field, the men realize they are outnumbered by the French, but Henry gives a wonderful speech and gets them to stay and fight with gusto.
In Act IV, scene IV, Henry proved his sensitivity when he is being told about the death of his cousins and the way in which they tried to stay together. I thought that this was a sign of maturity, considering that in King Henry IV he hardly seemed to care at all that he had family.
In this same scene we see that Henry has changed, but maybe not entirely. Playing his prank on Williams; giving the glove to Fluellen and then staying to watch the hilarity ensue, shows that Henry has moved on from being silly little Hal playing with Falstaff in the saloons, but he still has his keen sense of humor, and even in bad times, he likes to keep things light. Then, after telling Williams that it was actually him he had a problem with, he gives him money! He appreciates William’s honesty and rewards him for that, which I have to say really pleasantly surprised me. Lastly, I was impressed by Henry’s humble return home.
I find it unfortunate that poor Catherine had to be used as a pawn in order for him to expand his empire, when he was clearly disinterested in her in the beginning of the play. I find myself consistently disappointed in the positions that women end up in in Shakespearian plays. There are some women who use men as well, or don’t allow themselves to be involved with men in order to protect themselves, but Catherine seems like a nice lady who doesn’t deserve to be used. The end was also a little sad because of the knowledge that Henry’s son is unable to maintain the French throne and his hard work went to nothing.
All together, I enjoyed reading this play. I think it was a good mix of fun and seriousness, and it gave the audience a chance to watch Henry prove himself to be a good king.