The tone of Henry V is ambivalent, containing elements of both celebration and critique. On the one hand, the play glorifies the heroic leadership of King Henry V and portrays the triumph of England over France in the Battle of Agincourt. The play, then, can be interpreted as a celebration of the nobility, courage, and patriotism of a previous generation of English nobles, and by extension, of England itself.
On the other hand, the play also raises serious questions about the morality of war and the responsibilities of leaders in times of crisis. Henry is not portrayed as a godlike hero, but rather as a flawed and complex individual who struggles with the tremendous weight of his own responsibilities. He is goaded into war by pride, even though he understands the bloody toll the war may take on his kingdom. When the Archbishop of Canterbury pushes Henry to pursue his claim to the French throne, the King himself speaks directly of his own doubts and mixed feelings:
For God doth know how many now in health
Shall drop their blood in approbation
Of what your reverence shall incite us to.
Therefore take heed how you impawn our person,
How you awake our sleeping sword of war.
We charge you in the name of God, take heed,
For never two such kingdoms did contend
Without much fall of blood, whose guiltless drops
Are every one a woe, a sore complaint
Here, Henry insists that the Archbishop “take heed” before rousing the “sleeping sword of war” in consideration of the “fall of blood” that is sure to ensue. Much of the ambivalent tone of the play stems from the contrast between Henry’s grave private doubts and his confident, passionate, and motivating public speeches. In this way, Shakespeare presents the audience with a “backstage” view of power that complicates the play’s seemingly triumphant conclusion, inviting the audience to think critically about “heroic” figures from the past.
