Henry V is the last play in a historical tetralogy which includes Richard II, Henry IV, Part One, and Henry IV, Part Two. While these three plays provide interesting background information about Henry's predecessors and his former life as prince, Henry V can be understood and enjoyed as a separate unit.
A central element in Henry V is the issue of King Henry's maturation. Henry becomes king in Henry IV, Part Two, after the death of his father in Act V of that play. Throughout Henry IV, Part One and Two, Henry, as Prince Hal, is perceived by many as a reckless youth who spends much of his time with drunks and criminals. When he is crowned king, he begins to reform his image by turning away from his old friends, but he has yet to.....
