Language Theme Analysis

As it acts out a war between armies of different mother tongues, Henry V exposes the powers and limitations of language. The most obvious representation of that limit is the non-English portion of the play itself: large chunks of lines are spoken in French, barring the understanding of any non-French-speakers in the audience. The play’s characters themselves struggle with this language barrier, as the French Katherine strains to learn English and Pistol butchers French words attempting to communicate with the Frenchman he captures. But even as language perpetuates misunderstanding and difference, it also embodies ideals of unity and inclusion. The Welsh, Irish, and Scottish accents spoken by Captains Fluellen, MacMorris, and Gower gesture towards England’s diversity and cultural tolerance.

For Henry V, language is also a powerful tool. His rhetoric is the most effective weapon in the play. Before the Battle of Agincourt, Henry’s soldiers lack every physical advantage to the French: they are poor, they are hungry, they are exhausted, they are fighting on unfamiliar territory. They themselves bemoan their situation and wish for reinforcements, certain of imminent defeat. Yet Henry’s St. Crispin’s Day speech turns the whole war around. Through his words, Henry reconfigures the soldiers’ image of themselves, enabling them to see themselves as an honorable, unified “band of brothers” destined to be celebrated throughout English history for their courage and gallantry. Armed with Henry’s words, the soldiers fight in high spirits and win the Battle of Agincourt against a much larger force.