King Henry V | Criticism

This literature criticism consists of approximately 20 pages of analysis & critique of King Henry V.

King Henry V | Criticism

This literature criticism consists of approximately 20 pages of analysis & critique of King Henry V.
This section contains 5,857 words
(approx. 20 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Critical Essay by Anthony S. Brennan

SOURCE: "That Within Which Passes Show: The Function of the Chorus in Henry V" in Philological Quarterly, Vol. 58, No. 1, Winter, 1979, pp. 40-52.

In the essay below, Brennan views the Chorus as representing one side of a dialectical argument about the nature of war and national leadership. The critic believes that the Chorus's definition of war as a glorious undertaking and the grim perspective provided by the common soldiers are mediated by Henry's perception of the limitations and responsibilities of power.

The use of the Chorus in Henry V is really central to the whole question of what Shakespeare is doing when he reminds us so deliberately of the illusory nature of the play-world. Does the Chorus speak directly for Shakespeare in lamenting that the glorious history of England can receive no fully worthy representation on a tawdry stage? It has become a commonplace of criticism that any Shakespearian...

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This section contains 5,857 words
(approx. 20 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Critical Essay by Anthony S. Brennan
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Critical Essay by Anthony S. Brennan from Gale. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.