Why Henry V ?
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merlinsbeard — 16 years ago(February 21, 2010 09:37 PM)
It makes sense that Henry V is chosen as the play they see onstage because of the theme of Shakespeare's play.
It's not just a war story. It is also about a young, completely untried English king who takes a small army to war against France, which outnumbers them by the thousands, and wins against all odds. That's why the line is about "we few, we happy few" because it was a small force of English. This is true historically, but Shakespeare emphasizes it even more in the play (and leaves out the fact that they win because the English have the longbow and the French do not; Shakespeare does this in many of his plays. He keeps or changes or leaves out historical details in order to make the play into the story and theme that he wants to show on stage).
This idea of the young and untried king and warriors who win against all odds matches what the double-Ds are facing in their lives.
They win the war (in Shakespeare's version) because of their bonds with one another, because of their love for England, and because their leader is a good man.
This all fits very well with what the movie is showing that the double-Ds are learning, and that their leader, played by DeVito, is learning (to be a better man even as they are all learning to love one another and hold together).
It's actually a lot more effective than having them see Hamlet, because that would just repeat what they have already discussed in the movie. This way, the movie extends the themes and allows the one character to learn another speech that he speaks in that great scene (the St Crispin's Day speech), showing the Drill Sgt that they have learned something worthwhile.
But the movie also asks its audience to learn something, or to draw upon our education, or at least to be curious enough to look up Henry V or to read it, in order to answer this obvious question, and not to be satisfied with an answer like "Shakespeare is rarely performed" (Shakespeare is in fact performed regularly across the country, and as someone pointed out, the Stratford Festival is not far from where this film is set). I kind of like that in a movie it asks something of us, as well as of its characters. -
tyshimah3 — 11 years ago(June 20, 2014 07:38 PM)
They go to Canada (not far from Michigan where the story takes place) to see Henry V because it's the only Shakespeare play available to them. Also, they see Henry V because it deals with soldiers, something the DDs hope to become.
They DO NOT read Henry V in class, they only read Hamlet. And that's what they're tested on.
"Do you even remember what you came here to find?" -
heathbc — 10 years ago(May 13, 2015 09:10 AM)
The choice of Henry V, I would venture, is made by the scriptwriters for dramatic effect. The 'Eve of Agincourt' speech by the King is probably the only speech which would get the desired reaction from the cynical drill sergeant. While we, as the audience, are moved by the speech, dramatically it is the drill sergeant who
must
be moved by it, else the whole point of the movie is lost. Whether the play takes place in Canada or somewhere else in the US is secondary to the dramatic necessity of it taking place
at all- and it has to be
this
play that they see.
- and it has to be
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tyshimah3 — 10 years ago(May 13, 2015 09:45 AM)
That totally makes sense. I agree.
But my point still stands. It is the only one in the area, so that's what they have to go and see, but your point is also correct. This is the Shakespeare play that works to get to the heart of the drill sergeant.
I love this movie.
"Do you even remember what you came here to find?"