A particularly brutal battle in English history was Agincourt, fought between England's king Henry V and the French forces in 1415. Greatly outnumbered by the French, the King decided to try to breach the town's defenses anyway and miraculously succeeded. This speech, one of the most famous from Shakespeare's play Henry V, is a masterwork of persuasion. In this speech, Henry directly addresses the fears and concerns that his soldiers have, specifically their justifiable concern that they're vastly outnumbered in this fight and will be basically cannon fodder if they proceed.
In this exercise, students will analyze Henry's rhetorical moves here. How does he persuade his soldiers to fight a battle they almost certainly will not survive? |
Full Text
|
Questions
|
What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin. 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. God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold, Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; It yearns me not if men my garments wear; Such outward things dwell not in my desires: But if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive. No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England: God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour As one man more, methinks, would share from me For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more! Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight, Let him depart; his passport shall be made And crowns for convoy put into his purse: We would not die in that man’s company That fears his fellowship to die with us. This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home, Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named, And rouse him at the name of Crispian. He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours, And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian:’ Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars. And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’ Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he’ll remember with advantages What feats he did that day: then shall our names. Familiar in his mouth as household words Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d. This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by, 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; be he ne’er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition: And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day. |
Ethos means something more than the credibility of a speaker. In addition to that--or really supporting that from the foundation--is the speaker's appeal to mutually shared values. That can be as simple as the value we place on our own survival, or it can be an appeal to patriotism, religion, the desire to help our own families, and so on.
5. What appeals to ethos--those mutually shared values--is Henry appealing to in this section from "God's will!" to "...do not wish one more!" When you are outnumbered five to one, as Henry was, it's pretty gutsy to say, "Wish not one man more...do not wish one more!" and to say essentially, "By the way, anyone who doesn't want to fight is welcome to see themselves out right now, frfr."
6. Why does Henry make it very EASY for the men who don't want to fight to take this way out? They'll get free passage and also travel money. Why make it easy for them to leave?
7. How does this tactic function to help Henry win? Here, Henry focuses on St. Crispin, a saint that (let's face it) very few people have heard of.
7. Why does he focus on naming this specific day, of calling attention to it as not just another Tuesday, but St. Crispin's Day? 8. What "moves" does Henry make in this crucial section here from "This day..." to the end of the speech?
10. Why does Henry refer to himself as "Harry the King" instead of something more formal? Why does he not give his noblemen (Bedford, Exeter, etc.) their formal noble titles here?
11. This highlighted line, "We few...brothers" is the most famous in this speech. What is it about the words here thataffects people so deeply?
Gentle his condition = "If you're here fighting with me today, I will totally confer lands and noble titles on you if you live, even though you might've been born Bob the Blacksmith or whatever."
12. How does this promise to ennoble these men help Henry win? |