A Gallant King; Shakespeare’s verbeelding van Hendrik V in The Life of Henry the Fifth
Summary
In this thesis I have studied the relationship between the historical Henry V of England and Shakespeare's depiction of him in his historical play. I have found that there is a close link, mostly based on the historical sources Shakespeare probably used. In a way Shakespeare makes Henry into a heroic king, a true and capable leader. Yet, on the other hand there are signs in the text that Henry is depicted as a egocentrical, almost cruel king, who is only fixed on keeping his own power. So, is Henry V truly a 'gallant king'?