Henry V is fairly young ruler, and not quite ready for the responsibility that comes with ruling a country. Despite his young age, at times he has been able to show just how competent of a leader he can be. Two of his speeches, the “Once more unto the breach” and “St. Crispin’s Day” speeches are great example of Henry knowing how to lead his men. However, he is also shown to be quite impulsive and horrid. The most important instance of this is when he makes the decision to invade France, where he decided to attack the instant he is made fun of by the French Ambassador. Shakespeare, in his 1594 play Henry V, nuances the titular character by having him perform actions and give speeches that directly contradict each other in terms of how they…show more content… Crispin’s Day speech. This speech is where Henry shows his army true comradery, as he tells his men that he will enjoy fighting beside them, and boasting of their victory once home. He also makes a very kind display when he promises to give money to any man who wishes to return home. Henry’s motivation for this speech is questionable, though. As the previous night, he listened, while disguised, to several men who questioned the motivation of his attack. Henry could have made this speech out of the goodness of his heart. He could have also made this speech to appease anybody who may have doubted his leadership after the forced surrender of Harfleur, and just to spite the men three men who doubted his motivations. While Henry may appear to act too harshly when it comes to the opposing army, he does act fairly when it comes to the punishments of his citizens. In Act III, Bardolph was executed for committing theft in the seized town. When informed of this, Henry approved of the death. This was most likely done to show his men that, while he will gladly fight alongside them, he will also be intolerant of any crime committed under his rule. Furthermore, Bardolph was a friend of Henry’s, which makes the death sadder for the audience, but a smart move for Henry to make in front of his army. At such a crucial time, Henry doesn’t want to appear weak, so weak as to exonerate a man of his crimes simply for being a friend. Henry needed to demonstrate his power to the French and to his army, so he made the difficult decision to execute a
