In the plays Henry V and Saint Joan, the societies expect men to be strong, fearless leaders and women to stand in the background. While these two plays are both on the topic of the Hundred Years War, and strength and leadership are both displayed by the lead characters in both plays, the fact that Henry V abides by gender roles and Joan rebels against them is what really sets the two plays apart. King Henry does what he can to prove to his men that he is the prototype of a man in this society. This means being tough and a strong leader, even when the odds are against him and his army. On the other hand, Joan defies gender expectations and proves that other factors are more important than sex. In both Act IV Scene iii of Henry V and Scene 1 of Joan of Arc, the main characters are trying to persuade a group of people that…show more content… The main characters of each play have their own approach on how to pick people up and give them hope. This can partially be explained by their different genders, as well as their different rhetorical approaches. King Henry V, being a confident and respected man, has no problem convincing his men to pick their heads up and fight hard to gain the honor and respect of their friends and family back home. On the other hand, Joan was at an immediate disadvantage to Henry V because she was a poor, young woman. Luckily, she had a strong force backing her up. In this time, men would never give a position of authority to a young girl, but Joan was their exception because she had God on her side. She was able to convince them that they needed her, and it was her mission to lead their men into battle. Her assertiveness combined with her promise of God on her side was enough to convince the men to give her a chance. On the whole, while both characters experienced the effects of gender roles in different ways, they both became proud heroes for their
