The Power of Words Patrick Rothfuss wrote in one of his most recognized books that “words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. [They] can light fires in the minds of men. [They] can wring tears from the hardest hearts” (Rothfuss 673). Words can influence, build, inspire or even demolish an individual. They are the most powerful weapon in the history of civilization, since they are capable of changing a person’s life for the better or even drive someone insane.
In the play “Henry V” by William Shakespeare one can easily admire the power that words have on individuals through the famous king’s speeches. They inspire and even sometimes intimidate the audience. His speeches are also an essential part of the play, without them England would not have won the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Year’s War. The king Henry speaks a great majority in this play since he is aware of the power of his charisma and efficiency in which he transmits his messages.
When a messenger delivers a box of tennis balls to Henry as an insulting reminder of his immature and irresponsible youth, Henry responds with a intimidating message. This is the moment when Henry officially declares the invasion of France. He threatened Dauphin promising that he was going to treat France like a tennis court, to play a match for Dauphin’s father’s crown, by turning the tennis balls into cannons to destroy France. Henry claimed that he comes in the name of God and emphasized that the Dauphin will be responsible for the consequences of his joke.
The king of England presented himself as an unstoppable force his enemies must surrender rather than fight against with this threatening speech. Another important intimidating speech that Henry V gave was before the gates of Harfleur. It was essential for the victory of Battle of Agincourt since without it many more of his men would have died in the battle field that day. In this speech Henry warns the Governor of Harfleur that if they do not surrender immediately, the English soldiers will rape the town’s women, smash the heads of men, and kill all the newborns.
He made sure that the governor understood that the English men will not show mercy and will reduce the town to ashes. Therefore, the governor surrendered Harfleur to King Henry and asked for mercy. After hearing the final words of the Governor, Henry sighted in relief, since as he had stated previously, he and his men would only kill French soldiers, and would show mercy to the people of France. This speech was evidence that Henry was a brilliant military strategist and orator, by threatening and giving images of inhumane violence, he avoided more carnage in Harfleur.
Henry speeches not only intimidated and threatened the French by showing his authority, but also inspired and encouraged the English soldiers. When the English had just opened a hole into the walls of Harfleur, Henry recited one of the most known speeches of the entire play. He saw that his men were starting to fall apart, so he asked them to give one last extreme effort. Henry declared that fighting against the French will dignify the English soldiers, even if they are from an “inferior blood” that the noblemen who serve as their commanders.
Henry not only demonstrated that his speech inspired leadership and faith, but also how well he knew his men, by appealing to their ancestry, courage and love for England. His speech was very successful and created an impact in most of his men, it gave them enough strength to rush forward, and by consequence to keep going with their journey to the Battle of Agincourt. Another crucial speech of Henry V that encouraged the English soldiers in order to win the Battle of Agincourt, was the one that he made just before the battle.
Henry heard his cousin Westmoreland wishing that they would have more men to fight with them in the battle. The king knew that it would have been better if they had more soldiers, but it was impossible to recruit more men at that moment, so he used the power of his dialect in his favor to encourage his men for the battle. He stated that he did not wanted more men, since if they were destined to die, the fewer, the better for the country, and if they were destined to live, the fewer men, the grater share of honor for each men.
He declared that he was selfish about honor, and did not wanted to share it with not even one more man, and that whoever had no spirit for the fight could leave home safely. He suggested that it was a privilege for his soldiers to fight by his side and that everyone who stayed at home would be jealous of them. Henry’s strategy for mentally strengthen his troops impacted the soldiers even more when he said that the troops that fight alongside him will become his brothers, that everybody was equal in this war.
During this era class rank was extremely important, hearing a king call you a brother has a very powerful positive emotional impact. This speech is nevertheless one of the most inspiring war speeches ever spoken. The king Henry V is considered to be a brilliant orator who possesses an extraordinary facility with language. He pursues his goals incessantly to the end and presents himself as an unstoppable force. The psychological weapon that Henry utilizes has a powerful strength which is essential for the English to win the Battle of Agincourt.
With his speeches he can intimidate his greatest enemies and also inspire his troops, being able to persuade nearly anyone who hears him. In each of his speeches, Henry seems to be only speaking his mind, but when analyzing them further one can see they are brilliantly crafted and how they manipulate the minds of his listeners. The power of his words, he and his band of brothers will always be remembered for the glorious Saint Crispin’s Day.