Prompt Shakespeare // Henry V

The Life of King Henry the Fifth

By William Shakespeare (c. 1599)

Scenes & Summaries

Act I

  • Prologue: The Chorus invokes a "Muse of fire."
  • Scene 1: The Bishops conspire to distract the King with war in France.
  • Scene 2: Henry asserts his claim to the French throne; the Dauphin sends tennis balls.

Act II

  • Prologue: The youth of England are on fire; traitors are discovered.
  • Scene 1: Pistol, Nym, and Bardolph quarrel; Falstaff is ill.
  • Scene 2: Henry exposes the treason of Cambridge, Scroop, and Grey.
  • Scene 3: The death of Falstaff; the Eastcheap crew departs.
  • Scene 4: The French King and Dauphin discuss the English threat.

Act III

  • Prologue: The fleet sails to Harfleur.
  • Scene 1: "Once more unto the breach, dear friends."
  • Scene 2: The Captains (Fluellen, Gower, Macmorris, Jamy) argue tactics.
  • Scene 3: Henry threatens Harfleur; the town surrenders.
  • Scene 4: Princess Katherine learns English words from Alice.
  • Scene 5: The French prepare to crush the English march.
  • Scene 6: Pistol pleads for Bardolph; Henry refuses mercy.
  • Scene 7: The French nobles boast and await the morning.

Act IV

  • Prologue: "A little touch of Harry in the night."
  • Scene 1: Henry visits his troops in disguise.
  • Scene 2: The French anticipate an easy victory.
  • Scene 3: The St. Crispin's Day speech; the battle begins.
  • Scene 4: Pistol captures a French soldier.
  • Scene 5: The French ranks break in shame.
  • Scene 6: The deaths of York and Suffolk.
  • Scene 7: The French kill the boys; Montjoy concedes victory.
  • Scene 8: The casualties are counted. "Non nobis, Domine."

Act V

  • Prologue: Henry returns to London, then back to France.
  • Scene 1: Fluellen forces Pistol to eat a leek.
  • Scene 2: The Treaty of Troyes; Henry woos Katherine.
  • Epilogue: A sonnet on the future reign of Henry VI.

Dramatis Personae

The English

KING HENRY THE FIFTH.
DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, brother to the King.
DUKE OF BEDFORD, brother to the King.
DUKE OF EXETER, uncle to the King.
DUKE OF YORK, cousin to the King.
EARLS OF SALISBURY, WESTMORELAND, and WARWICK.
ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.
BISHOP OF ELY.
EARL OF CAMBRIDGE.
LORD SCROOP.
SIR THOMAS GREY.
SIR THOMAS ERPINGHAM, GOWER, FLUELLEN, MACMORRIS, JAMY, officers in King Henry's army.
BATES, COURT, WILLIAMS, soldiers in the same.
PISTOL, NYM, BARDOLPH.
BOY.
A Herald.

The French

CHARLES THE SIXTH, King of France.
LEWIS, the Dauphin.
DUKES OF BURGUNDY, ORLEANS, and BOURBON.
The CONSTABLE of France.
RAMBURES and GRANDPRE, French Lords.
GOVERNOR of Harfleur.
MONTJOY, a French Herald.
AMBASSADORS to the King of England.
ISABEL, Queen of France.
KATHERINE, daughter to Charles and Isabel.
ALICE, a lady attending on her.
HOSTESS of a tavern in Eastcheap (formerly Mistress Quickly).

Others

CHORUS.
Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Citizens, Messengers, and Attendants.

Reader's Guide to Annotations

Dotted Underline

Hover for definitions of archaic words or phrases (e.g., tun, ancient).

Solid Gold Underline

Hover for thematic analysis, historical context, and critical commentary.