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Act 1, Prologue

• The chorus enters the stage and calls upon the muse of fire to inspire the play.

• The chorus begs the audience to use their imagination because the stage cannot fully show the drama of the battlefields and the boldness of castles, nor can the actors fully portray great characters such as Henry V.

• The chorus also says the plot of the play will travel between England and France so the audience will have to keep track of the scene.
• Because it is impossible to recreate battlefields, castles, and vast landscapes on the Elizabethan stage, it is necessary to have a chorus introduce the play.

• The chorus affords Shakespeare the opportunity to set the time and place and to explain the plot. It is difficult to create a historic scene without offering some explanation.

• The chorus also serves the purpose of praising Henry V instead of only...

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