Source: "Henry V: The Essential King," in Shakespearean Essays, No.2, 1964, pp. 97-103.
[In this essay, Mitchell examines Henry's attempts to establish his legal and moral right to kingship. He notes that by proving his right to the French throne, Henry simultaneously secures his claim to the English crown.
Mitchell also discusses the concept of honor in Henry V and ways Henry achieves these ideals.]
The war in Shakespeare's Henry V is significant because it provides the occasion for Henry's proving his right to kingship. Henry's need to establish his legal right to the throne of France serves the more pressing need to ensure his right to the English throne: [according to John Palmer in his Political Characters of Shakespeare, 1952] he "has invaded France in order that he may acquire a second crown.....
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