SOURCE: "'The King is a Good King, but it must be as it may': History, Heroism, and Henry V" in Shakespeare and the Shapes of Time, University Press of New England, 1982, pp. 56-76.
In the essay below, Kastan argues that Henry's moral certitude prevents him from questioning the justice of his cause or permitting anyone else to challenge it. The critic maintains that the king is convinced that God is on his side and that the war against France is legally as well as divinely sanctioned, and so he ignores or suppresses any suggestion of moral ambiguity or complexity.
This is a free excerpt of 99 words. There are 8,653 words (approx.
29 pages at 300 words per page) in the full critical essay.
Read the rest of this Criticism with our Henry V: Critical Essay by David Scott Kastan Access Pass.
