Henry V Act Four - “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers…”

Henry V Act Four - “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers…”

The calm before the storm of the battle is described by The Chorus in the opening of Act 4 of ‘Henry V’:

“From camp to camp through the foul womb of night

The hum of either army stilly sounds,

That the fixed sentinels almost receive

The secret whispers of each other's watch…”

After talking to his brothers Gloucester and Clarence, King Henry V borrows a dirty coat off Sir Thomas Erpingham and he asks to be left alone. In his borrowed cloak, Henry sits around a campfire with the common everyday soldiers. No-one recognizes him and Pistol expounds views on King Henry V and other matters. Then Fluellen and Gower, enter and when the noise gets too loud, Fluellen chatises everyone including the King (whom he doesn’t recognize) for making so much noise so close to enemy lines. Then more common soldiers in the form of John Bates, Alexander Court, and Michael Williams come to the fire and a discussion on the motives and bravery of King Henry V arises. When Henry defends King Henry V (himself even though Williams doesn’t know it), Williams challenges him to a quarrel after the next day's battle and they exchange gloves and decide to meet to fight if they survive the battle in the morning against the French. As the soldiers leave King Henry V contemplates the loneliness of power and responsibility. We can imagine the moment when the actor who first played Henry V (probably Richard Burbage) walks right down the thrust stage (perhaps for the first time) to deliver the inner thoughts and burdens of the great King Henry V:

“Upon the king! let us our lives, our souls,

Our debts, our careful wives,

Our children and our sins lay on the king!

We must bear all. O hard condition,

Twin-born with greatness, subject to the breath

Of every fool, whose sense no more can feel

But his own wringing! What infinite heart's-ease

Must kings neglect, that private men enjoy!”

Shakespeare then crosses to the French Camp, where The Constable, Lord Rambures and the Earl of Grandpré, prepare their heavy armour and beautiful horses for battle. They know they have the numbers and the armour to easily win and they deride the decrepit appearance of the small and exhausted English forces. The audience's hearts and hope grow for the English underdogs.

The morning of the Battle of Agincourt dawns and a group of English noblemen realize that they are greatly outnumbered by the French army by five to one. Then King Henry V enters and addresses them all claiming that because they are part of such a small band of men, they will all get a greater share of the honour in the coming battle:

“If we are mark'd to die, we are enow

To do our country loss; and if to live,

The fewer men, the greater share of honour.”

King Henry V then states that any man who does not want to fight should leave. He starts to inspire his men with his final claim that any man who fights beside his king today will be counted today as his brother.

“From this day to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remember'd;

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother…”

A final message from the French comes with Montjoy stating that since King Henry V and his troops face certain death in battle that he should surrender and offer a ransom. King Henry V refuses.

It is interesting that after such rousing speeches that the first scenes on the battlefield are comic and involve Pistol attempting to capture a French prisoner. The scene involves Pistol, who cannot speak any French, trying to talk to a Frenchman who doesn’t speak English. The Frenchman who is named Monsieur le Fer is from a noble family and he is convinced that Pistol is a fierce soldier of noble birth. Eventually, The Boy comes along and translates for both of these men. Monsieur le Fer offers money to Pistol if he lets him live. The scene ends with The Boy revealing that even Nim and Bardolph who were hung for stealing had ten times the bravery and courage of Pistol and le Fer.

We hear that the English have won the day (even though they don’t know it yet). The remaining French nobles are finally portrayed as noble soldiers as they decide to fight on rather than face the shame of suicide or surrender.

On the battlefields of Agincourt, the English do not know that they have won since many of the French are fighting to the death. King Henry V is still on the battlefield when he receives reports from Exeter that the Duke of York and the Earl of Suffolk, have died nobly in battle. King Henry V sheds tears for his comrades in arms. Battle cries rise up and Henry, thinking that the French are rallying, orders all his men to kill their prisoners. The gravity of this moment fills an audience with mixed feelings of horror and admiration for Henry’s boldness.

“The French have reinforced their scatter'd men:

Then every soldier kill his prisoners:

Give the word through.”

Horror is answered by horror and we hear that some French soldiers have struck the English encampment, looted and mercilessly slaughtered all the young boys and pages left in the camp. Fluellen and Gower are outraged and see King Henry’s killing of prisoners as validated as the atrocities build. King Henry V enters and once again commands that all the French prisoners be killed. Then the French messenger Montjoy arrives and brings a request from the king of France that the defeated French be allowed to bury their dead. King Henry V praises God for the English’s victory on the fields of Agincourt.

Then Shakespeare shifts the action to a lighter note when Henry seeing the soldier Williams, with whom he argued the night before and exchanged gloves to signal a challenge, and Henry decides to play a practical joke on Williams. King Henry V gives Williams’s glove of challenge to Fluellen telling him to openly display it claiming that it came from a French nobleman. When Williams sees his own glove on Fluellen, he believes that Fluellen is the man who he challenged and verbally battled with the night before. Fluellen thinks that Williams is a French nobleman and a traitor and tries to arrest him. Then King Henry V enters and reveals that it was he who argued with Williams the night before and accepted his challenge and his glove. Williams apologizes and says that he would never have picked a quarrel with the king if he hadn’t been in disguise. King Henry V fills Williams’ glove with coins to reward his bravery and tenacity.

A Herald and Exeter enter to announce the battle casualties. Although it seems astounding, Shakespeare reveals what seems to been officially reported as the casualties of the Battle of Agincourt - ten thousand Frenchmen killed and only twenty-nine Englishmen. King Henry V praises God again for their victory and directs his men to proceed with humility into the local village. Recognizing their extraordinary good luck, the Englishmen give praise to God. Henry orders his men to proceed to the captured village, but without any bragging.

“Come, go we in procession to the village.

And be it death proclaimed through our host

To boast of this or take the praise from God

Which is his only.”