STUDY GUIDE

Arkansas Repertory Theatre

Fall 2012

About the Play What Happens in England As the play begins, two powerful religious leaders, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely, discuss a parliamentary bill that, if passed, would divest the church of valuable land and possessions. In an effort to ensure goodwill with the church and direct the king’s energies elsewhere, they offer Henry the financial support he needs and the spiritual sanction he desires to renew his claim to the French throne. The French Dauphin’s insulting response to Henry’s previous terms of negotiation—a chest of tennis balls, a reminder of Henry’s rebellious youth—solidifies the king’s decision to assemble his troops and invade France. Before conquering foreign lands, however, Henry must face a dangerous domestic concern. Three of his subjects have participated in a conspiracy to assassinate him. After discovering the plot and making a public example of the traitors, King Henry crosses the Channel.

What Happens in France The army of King Henry V lays siege first to the town of Harfleur. Though Harfleur is won, the victory is at a devastating cost to Henry, whose forces are depleted and desperately ill. The king makes the decision to advance to Calais, but is met along the way by the enemy, near Agincourt. The English are grossly outnumbered by the French, but a decisive battle is inevitable and Henry rouses his troops toward triumph in his famous “St. Crispin’s Day” speech. Against all odds and with remarkably few losses, the English win the Battle of Agincourt. After sailing home in victory, King Henry returns again to France to settle the terms of the peace agreement. He woos the French princess, Katherine, and their impending marriage symbolizes the unification of England and France under a single crown.

Shakespeare is believed to have been born in Stratford upon Avon—we have a record showing that he was baptized on April 26, 1564 at The Holy Trinity Church (probably at about 3 days old).

At age 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, a woman 8 years older than himself. Their first daughter, Susanna, was born six months later. Do the math.

Shakespeare’s complete works consist of 884,647 words and 118,406 lines.

Good news: some of the same words that seem strange to us were strange to Shakespeare’s audience, too—they had never heard them before! Among the many words Shakespeare invented are “assassination,” “eyeball,” “bloodstained,” and “amazement.”

The inscription on Shakespeare’s grave reads: “Good frend for Jesus sake forbeare,

To dig the dust encloased heare: Bleste be ye man [that] spares thes stones, And curst be he yt moves my bones.”

Cool Stuff

about

Shakespeare

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention, A kingdom for a stage, princes to act And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels, Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all, The flat unraised spirits that have dared On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth So great an object: can this cockpit hold The vasty fields of France? or may we cram Within this wooden O the very casques That did affright the air at Agincourt? O, pardon! since a crooked figure may Attest in little place a million; And let us, ciphers to this great accompt, On your imaginary forces work. Suppose within the girdle of these walls Are now confined two mighty monarchies, Whose high upreared and abutting fronts The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder: Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts; Into a thousand parts divide on man, And make imaginary puissance; Think when we talk of horses, that you see them Printing their proud hoofs i' the receiving earth; For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings, Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times, Turning the accomplishment of many years Into an hour-glass: for the which supply, Admit me Chorus to this history; Who prologue-like your humble patience pray, Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.

Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,

Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,

Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire

Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all,

The flat unraised spirits that have dared

Let’s take a closer look at a few of the lines of the Chorus. Re-read the underlined lines, then look below for an explanation. The Chorus is telling the audience that the actors are merely men creating the scenes on this “unworthy scaffold” or the stage. He asks if they can “cram” all the elements of the play into this “wooden O” referring to the architecture of the Globe theatre (which was round). The Chorus asks the audience to complete with their thoughts what the actors cannot physically represent on the stage. When they see “one man” in battle on stage they should instead envision “a thousand” men fighting on the fields of France. Notice that the Chorus asks the audience kindly to “hear” rather than “see” the play—this demonstrates the importance of listening to the visual imagery in the language rather than watching the spectacle on the stage. of the Chorus. Re-read the underlined

lines, then look below for an explanation.

The Chorus is telling the audience that

the actors are merely men creating the

scenes on this “unworthy scaffold” or the

stage. He asks if they can “cram” all

the elements of the play into this

“wooden O” referring to the architecture

of the Globe theatre (which was round).

Imaginary Forces: Shakespeare’s Chorus In Henry V, the Chorus is a character that serves as a narrator, speaking directly to the audience throughout the play. Productions of Henry V in Shakespeare’s day would have taken place on a bare stage, without elaborate scenery, lighting, or special effects. Though the Rep’s production will use technological advances that were unavailable to Shakespeare’s company of actors, the Prologue to the play will still emphasize the creative and collaborative nature of the theatrical enterprise. In his first address to the audience, the Chorus urges us to become participants in the production, putting our own “imaginary forces” to work to help bring the story to life. Carefully read the Prologue (below). Look up any unfamiliar words. What images stand out to you? Do you notice any patterns? How does the Chorus go about convincing us to be more than mere spectators?

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention, A kingdom for a stage, princes to act And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels, Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all, The flat unraiséd spirits that have dared On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth So great an object: can this cockpit hold The vasty fields of France? or may we cram Within this wooden O the very casques That did affright the air at Agincourt? O, pardon! since a crookéd figure may Attest in little place a million; And let us, ciphers to this great account, On your imaginary forces work. Suppose within the girdle of these walls Are now confined two mighty monarchies, Whose high uprearéd and abutting fronts The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder: Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts; Into a thousand parts divide on man, And make imaginary puissance; Think when we talk of horses, that you see them Printing their proud hoofs i' the receiving earth; For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings, Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times, Turning the accomplishment of many years Into an hour-glass: for the which supply, Admit me Chorus to this history; Who prologue-like your humble patience pray, Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.

The Chorus reminds the audience that the actors are “flat unraiséd spirits”—they are mere mortals—trying to create a monumental story on the “unworthy scaffold” of the stage. He admits that they cannot “cram” all the realistic elements of the play into the “wooden O,” referring to the architecture of the Globe theatre (which was round).

When the Chorus asks the audience to “piece out” the “imperfections” of the performers, he is asking us to make up for what cannot be represented on stage by using the power of our own minds—“imaginary puissance.”

Note that the Chorus stresses what the audience will “hear” rather than what they will “see.” Why do you think he does this, in the context of the rest of the speech?

STUDY GUIDE

Arkansas Repertory Theatre

Fall 2012

Unburied Bones

Three years after Henry V died in 1422, Katherine married Owen Tudor. Together they had a son, Edmund, who was to become the father of the first Tudor king, Henry VII. When Katherine died in 1437, she was buried in the Lady Chapel rather than next to Henry V in Westminster Abbey. When her grandson (Henry VII) destroyed the chapel in 1502, he laid her body in a coffin of loose boards beside Henry V’s tomb. Because the coffin was not sealed, her bones were exposed to the sight (and, apparently, to the touch) of enthusiastic visitors like Samuel Pepys, who recorded his viewing of the queen’s body some 70 years after Shakespeare wrote Henry V:

“Here did we see, by particular favour, the body of Queen Katherine of Valois, and had her upper part of her body in my hands. And I did kiss her mouth, reflecting upon it that I did kiss a Queen…” (23 February 1669). In 1776, Katherine’s bones were finally taken off public display, and over 100 years later, they were laid beneath the altar in Henry’s chantry. The story of Katherine’s unprotected, unburied bones—their accessibility, their vulnerability, and their tangibility—emblematizes the palpability of history for Shakespeare and his audience. The past was not hidden out of sight, permanently enclosed in a tomb. Rather, the bones of recent history were laid bare and exposed to the gaze of interested passers-by, who, on occasion (and often with great affection), unsettled them.

“Whenever Shakespeare or a member of his acting company or his audience went into Westminster Abbey (as many of them, Shakespeare included, may well have done early in 1599 for the funeral of the national poet, Edmund Spenser), they would have seen Henry V’s saddle, helmet, and shield… The prominence of the relics in the Abbey is a reminder that the story of Henry V was very much alive and significant in 1599…”

Jonathan Bate & Eric Rasmussen

Henry V’s Saddle Photo from: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our history/royals/burials/ henry-v-and-catherine-de-valois

henry-v-and-catherine-de-valois

Henry V Effigy Photo from: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/royals/burials/ henry-v-and-catherine-de-valois

Katherine de Valois Inscription on Altar Photo from: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/royals/burials/ henry-v-and-catherine-de-valois

The History Plays

Henry V The tetralogy ends with English victory and peace, though characteristically pushing against the play, the Chorus reminds us that such prosperity will be short-lived. The play takes up such questions as:

What is honor? Loyalty? Unity? Are some lives worth more than

others? Is the play a shameless celebration of

patriotism or a sober warning against the travesties of war? Or both?

What is the price of strong leadership? Must all good leaders make moral and ethical compromises?

*Chronology and summaries taken directly from Norrie Epstein’s The Friendly Shakespeare (161-162),

First Performed in 1599 (the same year as Julius Caesar) and first printed in 1600 (Q1), Henry V is the final play in Shakespeare’s second tetralogy. Following is a chronology of the history plays in the order of the events they depict (rather than the order in which Shakespeare wrote them).*

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Henry VI, Part 1 Henry V dies while Henry VI is still an infant; uncles vie for power; civil war is imminent; France is lost.

Henry VI, Part 2 Henry VI grows up to become a weak and ineffectual ruler; the War of the Roses begins (Henry is a Lancastrian).

Henry VI, Part 3 Henry is defeated; the House of York triumphs; Edward IV, brother of Richard of Gloucester (Richard III) is crowned.

Richard III Edward IV dies; Richard removes obstacles to the crown and becomes Richard III. At the Battle of Bosworth, he is slain by Henry Richmond (Henry VII), the first Tudor king and Elizabeth I’s grandfather.

Richard II: Richard II renounces his throne and is later murdered, an act that divides the succession into two dynastic strains, Lancaster and York, primary contenders for the crown in the War of the Roses. Henry IV (Bolingbroke) is crowned.

Henry IV, Part 1: Henry’s old supporters, the Percys, raise forces against him. Relations between Henry and his heir, Hal, are strained; Hal comes of age when he valiantly fights in his father’s cause.

Henry IV, Part 2: Civil disruptions continue as Henry struggles to maintain his throne; he dies and is succeeded by his son, Hal, who becomes Henry V.

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Making Memory Matter: History & Identity

Throughout Shakespeare’s lifetime, England was developing a perception of itself as a nation in ways it had never done before. The literary, political, religious, and cultural influence of the notion of a national identity cannot be overstated. Playwrights like Shakespeare helped shape that sense of “Englishness” (which partially accounts for the obsessiveness with which foreigners are treated so skeptically or cruelly in the period’s drama). The stories of England’s history—its heroes, its villains, its evidence of God’s providence—were crucial to its emerging sense of itself as a nation. In 16th-century England, historians recorded stories of the past in which they saw (and sought to highlight) moral lessons for the present. In the words of scholar Warren Chernaik, “the notion… that the historian, aiming at a scientist’s objectivity, should limit himself to ‘strict presentation of facts’… and thus ‘transmit what happened’, avoiding any contamination by values or personality, was virtually unknown in Shakespeare’s day.” So, while Shakespeare’s history plays unapologetically walk a thin line between fact and fiction, heightening dramatic potential whenever possible, even the playwright’s historical sources were shaped by artistic, political, and moral concerns. Like Shakespeare’s other history plays, the predominant sources for Henry V are Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1587) and Holinshed’s main source, Edward Hall’s Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancaster and York (1548).

“For Shakespeare and his contemporaries, history was a morality play, written, staged, and directed by God. It had a pattern and a plot, and there was a reason for everything… By examining history, the Elizabethans traced their destiny as it worked itself out through the movements of kings, queens, tyrants, rebels, and pretenders.”

Norrie Epstein

According to Arden editor T.W. Craik, “the other major source for Henry V… is an anonymous play entered in the Stationers’ Register on 14 May 1594 and printed by Thomas Creede in 1598 with the title The Famous Victories of Henry the fifth; Containing the Honourable Battell of Agin-court” (7). What we are perpetually drawn to about Shakespeare’s history plays is not his presentation of historical data, but his humanizing of historical figures: fathers who worry about sons, sons who suffer the sins of their fathers, and friends who betray one another, for example. We also marvel at Shakespeare’s command of the language, both in prose and poetry, and his ability to shape into dramatic verse such a broad spectrum of events. It makes sense that in the character of Henry V, Shakespeare gives us a rhetorical genius, a man whose words are so powerful as to terrify the vulnerable people of Harfleur into surrendering as well as to rally his sick and grossly outnumbered army to fight valiantly. Showing off his linguistic prowess is, no doubt, why Shakespeare gives him three times as many words as anyone else in the play.

“This story shall the good man teach his son, And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by From this day to the ending of the world

But we in it shall be remembered,

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” Henry V, 4.3.56-60

Subhead. Subhead. Subhead.

At a Glance: The Reign of King Henry V

1386

Age 12

Age 26

September 16, Henry born

Accompanied Richard II on his second expedition to Ireland; Became heir to the throne of England when his father deposed Richard II

April 9, 1413, became King of England September 23, 1413, oversaw the inquiry of Sir John Oldcastle (leader of the Lollard movement, later executed for treason)

Age 35 August 31, 1422, died of dysentery; Henry VI was not quite 9 months old

October 25, 1415, fought & won Battle of Agincourt

Age 33 May 21, 1420, signed Treaty of Troyes; Henry and Katherine married

Age 29

Age 16 Fought in the Battle of Shrewsbury and took an almost-fatal arrow in the face.

Meet the Cast

Jason Guy

Choru

s/

Montj

oy

Henry

V

Avery Clark

Joe Menino

Mitch Tebo

DC Wright

Ed Lowry

Ashton Crosby

Jason Collins

Irungu Mutu

Peter Leake

Bill Jones

Sheila Glasscock

Andrew Curzon

Michael Bartholmey

Kin

g o

f Fr

ance

/ B

ishop o

f Ely

Kath

eri

ne

Nikki Coble

Dauphin

Nate Washburn

Exete

r

Paul Romero

Const

able

/ W

illia

ms

Richard Prioleau

Cante

rbury

/

Pis

tol

Nym

/

French

sold

ier

Bard

olp

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Glo

uce

ster

Fluelle

n

West

more

land/

Gow

er

Burg

undy/S

croop/

Macm

orr

is/R

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bure

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Gre

y/M

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enger/

H

era

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Govern

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Orl

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C

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bri

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Am

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Erp

ingham

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Host

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Boy

Bedfo

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The Battle of Agincourt

Reason for Invasion Henry decides to invade France based on a claim made previously by his great-grandfather, Edward III, who asserted that his mother, Isabella, was the rightful heir to the childless King Charles IV (her brother). On the claim that male heirs only were recognized (the “Salic Law”), the crown had passed instead to Charles’ first cousin, Philip of Valois. Actually, any right that might have existed would not have belonged to Henry, but to the heir of Richard II, Edmund Mortimer (Earl of March), rather than to the son of a usurper. In Shakespeare’s play, Henry’s motivation to invade France may certainly be bolstered by the urging of the clergy (who have self-interested motives, in light of the parliamentary bill mention at the play’s start), but the seed for such action had been planted by his father at the end of 2 Henry IV: “… Therefore, my Harry, Be it thy course to busy giddy minds With foreign quarrels, that action, hence borne out, May waste the memory of former days” (4.3.340-3).

Preparations Approx. 1,500 sea vessels prepared Approx. 2,500 men-at-arms contracted Approx. 8,000 archers, gunners, sappers,

armorers, grooms, surgeons, cooks, saddlers, smiths, fletchers, chaplains (and 15 minstrels!)

Henry prepared himself spiritually through pilgrimages and church services.

Attempted negotiations continued.

Harfleur Having departed on August 11, 1415, the army began a siege on Harfleur that lasted for 5 weeks. The land on which they were fighting was made of marshes, which were swarmed with flies, and the only available food (rotten fruit and shellfish) led to fever and dysentery. Within a month, some 2,000 men were dead; many more were sick enough to be sent home to England. Though Harfleur was won on September 22, the victory was at a devastating cost to Henry, who had lost at least a third of his men.

Still, the king made the (unpopular) decision to advance to Calais, 150 miles away. They were met along the way by the enemy, near Agincourt (October 24). Agincourt It had been raining for a week and rained throughout the night before the battle (the salvation of the English, they would later learn). On the morning of October 25, the Feast of St. Crispin and Crispinian, both sides prepared for battle. The English formed three lines across, with archers in between. Henry himself led the center line. Sharpened stakes were set in front of the men as a defense against the French cavalry. Because the French army was so large and the space was so small, a line formation was impossible; instead, they formed a column, deployed in three ranks one behind the other, with cavalry on each side and crossbowmen between. When the French began the attack, both cavalry and infantry, weighed down with heavy armor, began to sink in the mud, making them easy targets for the English archers. The few French who managed to reach the English line were met with short swords, axes, and clubs. The second wave of attack met with the same fate, and the third wave fled.

*Image from http://faculty.history.wisc.edu/sommerville/123/ 123%20172%20henryv.htm

What do YOU think?

How does the play portray war? What characters are interested in the ethics of war and why does that matter? What are some of the contradictions the play seems to consider when it comes to war?

Does the war seem to impact characters differently based upon their class? How do the common folk talk about fighting? How does this compare with discussions among the nobles? Why is this important?

How would you describe Henry’s leadership? What kind of king is he? Merciful? Ruthless? Compassionate? Heartless? What ideas about the nature of kingship does the play engage?

Killing the French Prisoners It was at this point that King Henry V gave the merciless order to kill all the prisoners. Many men refused to obey, and ultimately, he had to designate a large number of his archers to do it. Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen note that the play “is quite explicit that King Harry gives the order to kill the prisoners before he hears of the attack on the camp followers. The reason for their summary slaughter is that every last soldier is needed to cope with the arrival of French reinforcements. It is a pragmatic decision, not a gallant or a worthy one…”(xi). Losses French losses were extraordinary. Out of approximately 20, 000 men, 7, 000 were gone; the English, on the other hand, lost 1, 600 at the most (perhaps far less). Henry arrived at Calais on October 29, at Dover on November 16, and at London on November 23, where the somber king was greeted by enormous numbers of jubilant subjects.

Aftermath The victory at Agincourt was followed by two subsequent campaigns in France. It was five years later when the Treaty of Troyes was signed, and the king was married to Katherine.

“The play is intended to work up on us as King Harry works upon his followers: the dazzling power of words creates the triumph out of

extremely limited resources.” Jonathan Bate & Eric Rasmussen

From Prince Hal to King Henry At the end of Henry IV, Part 2 the Epilogue enthusiastically anticipates the forthcoming Henry V and starts making promises he can’t seem to keep: “…our humble author will continue the story with Sir John in it…” Maybe Shakespeare found Falstaff no longer relevant to the story; maybe he didn’t want any blemishes on Henry’s glorious triumph; or maybe comic actor Will Kemp had suddenly left the company. Whatever the reason, Henry V does not feature Sir John. There are, however, references to him and a detailed description of his death. You may notice that these have been cut in our production. The omission of lines about Falstaff in our cutting symbolizes, in a way, the significance of the character’s physical absence from the play: the rowdy Prince Hal is able to fully and finally effect his transformation to the regal King Henry V through the rejection (and ultimately the death) of the irreverent and irresponsible Falstaff. As the new king says to his old friend at the end of 2 Henry IV: “For God doth know, so shall the world perceive, That I have turned away my former self; So will I those that kept me company” (5.5.57-9). Abandoning his friendship with Falstaff is a necessary step in Hal’s carefully thought-out (and self-managed) reform plan. As he reveals upon his father’s death, “My father is gone wild into his grave, For in his tomb lie my affections, And with his spirits sadly I survive To mock the expectation of the world, To frustrate prophecies, and to raze out Rotten opinion, who hath writ me down After my seeming” (5.2.122-8). .

The King’s Two Bodies Henry V is not the first king to fret over the frustrations of his office. The early modern doctrine of the king’s two bodies reconciled the divine sovereignty of the throne with the human vulnerabilities of those who occupied it. A monarch’s body natural was mortal, while the body politic was supernatural. Though the body natural could be destroyed, the body politic would live eternally ( “The king is dead, long live the king!”) In the (fictional and historical) rhetoric of some monarchs, the theory of the two bodies registers as an undesirable division of the self. Kings and queens alike comment on the conflict between duties of the public self (body politic) and the desires of the private self (body natural). For example, Queen Elizabeth I wistfully acknowledges in more than one of her speeches that she is not simply “a milkmaid, with a pail on mine arm,” and therefore cannot enjoy the privilege of privacy in her affairs. Similarly, in Shakespeare’s 3 Henry VI , the king laments: “O God, methinks it were a happy life / To be no better than a homely swain” (2.5.21-2).

You may notice that some characters in Henry V refer to Henry’s wild past (the

bishops and the Dauphin, for example). Take a look at Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2 to see the rowdy Prince Hal they’re talking about!

The Importance of Order

“Band of Brothers” Though he calls his soldiers a “band of brothers,” King Henry in both of his moving speeches to the troops (in Act 3 & in Act 4) makes much of social hierarchy. In fact, as Bate and Rasmussen point out, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more” is a speech that “enacts the chain of command down the ranks. It offers a textbook image of the officer class leading from the front by example…” As many scholars have noted, the early modern obsession with order and hierarchy was connected to “the Great Chain of Being,” a theory that, according to Russ McDonald, “held that God had created the universe according to a system of hierarchies, that every living creature… occupied its ordained place in an elaborate interlocking scheme, and that awareness of that scheme and one’s place in it was a precondition for the peaceful and productive operation of society” (319). Everyone had a place, and when anyone attempted to move into a different place, chaos could occur.

Treason The persistent, provocative question of whether regicide is ever justified has motivated restless subjects and plagued anxious monarchs throughout England’s history, and Henry V was no exception. Less than 2 weeks before Henry departed for France, Mortimer (earl of March, Richard II’s son) came to him to report a conspiracy. Mortimer reported that Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Thomas Grey, and Henry, Lord Scrope of Masham (one of the king’s trusted confidantes) had plans to assassinate Henry and put Mortimer on the throne. All three were convicted of treason and sentenced to die.

British Nobility* The system of British Peerage in Shakespeare's time (which still exists—although altered—in modern day Great Britain) determined one's position in society. Duke: The highest rank, other than king or prince; from the Latin dux, meaning leader. Marquess: Second-highest rank, from the French marquis, meaning march. Earl: This title comes from an old English term that referred to a military leader, and the rank corresponds to a Count in continental Europe. Viscount: A Latin-derived word that translates to vice-count. Baron: Someone who holds land directly from the King or Queen. *http://www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org/education/elizabethan-age; http://history.howstuffworks.com/european-history/question438.htm

The boy reveals that Bardolph and Nym are both hanged for thieving. Pistol begs for mercy on Bardolph’s behalf after he steals a pax from a church (a pax is small gold or silver

disc used during Communion). When he is told about Bardolph, Henry says he would “all such offenders so cut

off.” Why might the king feel so strongly about such crimes?

Casting the Vision: An Interview with the Director

What are some important issues the play explores?

“Shakespeare's Henry V is both thrilling and poignant; the themes of the play: the quest for power, the cost of war, the price we are willing to pay for what we believe is right are as relevant to us today as they were 400 years ago.”

Why do you think audiences will be inspired by Henry V? “The power of Henry V lies in its contradictions: valor and cruelty, greed and generosity, honor and treachery. These contradictions make the play immediately accessible to a modern audience and help bring the characters to vivid life on the stage.”

You were awarded a prestigious grant for this production. What opportunities has this funding allowed you to pursue?

“The Shakespeare in American communities grant allows us to expand the educational outreach component of our new season's first Mainstage production. Henry V is politics, it is history, it is the human condition in extraordinary circumstances. To be able to explore these ideas with students across central Arkansas is a central objective of our work this fall. We look forward to bringing The Rep's first foray into Shakespeare's history plays to vivid life for audiences of all ages, and especially, with the help of this important grant, to enriching the experience for young audiences through a greater understanding of the creative, historical and cultural context of the play.”

Rep Producing Artistic Director and

Henry V Director, Robert Hupp

What excites you about this play and this production? “From his confrontation with the close friends who betray him to his wooing of the French princess, Henry V is such a compelling character. A young king, untested, driven by ambition, strives for redemption and power through the cauldron of war and redefines his world in the process. We are working through the creative process with a cast of 19 to tell a story in an exciting, engaging and meaningful way for our audiences.”

Setting the Scene: Scenic Design Designer: Mike Nichols

Creating the Look: Costume Design

Designer: Marianne Custer

The English

The French

Shakespeare Then & Now so-lil-o-quy:

[suh-lil-uh-kwee] The Latin base words in soliloquy are Solus (“to be alone”) and Loqui (“to speak”). In the theatre, a soliloquy is a speech during which a character who is on stage alone (or thinks he or she is alone) reveals his or her thoughts to the audience. In general, the audience can believe that what a character says in soliloquy is true, particularly since the character speaking is not addressing any other characters on stage. Pay particular attention to these moments—they may expose secrets that the character is hiding or even hint at the next big event in a twisting and exciting plot.

Actors Being an actor in Shakespeare’s day was not easy. Companies typically performed six days a week and an actor might be required to learn a new role every single week, with thirty to forty roles to memorize. Only male actors were allowed onstage during this period in England, so all female roles were played by boys. Since each acting company did not have enough actors for the large number of roles in most plays, doubling was a commonplace practice—one actor would play multiple roles during the course of any given show. The Rep’s production of Henry V maintains the practice of doubling. You’ll notice actors nimbly switching from one role to another.

Audiences Outdoor theatres like Shakespeare’s Globe could hold between 2, 000-3, 000 audience members at a time. In an age where people did not shower daily or wear deodorant, you can imagine the smell. Usually, a flag would be flown on the theatre’s roof to announce the beginning of a performance. Performances took place mid-afternoon, in the daylight. This means that when the actors wanted to show that it was nighttime they had to do so through their language or use of small props (carrying a candle, for example). Another effect of the shared light of the theatrical space was that the audience could not only see the actors, but they could see one another—and the actors could see all of them. The price of seeing a play varied—patrons of the lower class could watch the play from the pit (these spectators were called “groundlings”) for just a penny. Richer patrons could pay more for nicer, more prominent seats in the galleries.

Production As the Chorus alludes to in the beginning of Henry V, Renaissance theatres did not boast elaborate sets, scenery, or special effects. Actors did wear opulent costumes—in fact, costumes were the most valuable of assets owned by acting companies of the day. A company easily paid more money for costumes than for the scripts of the plays it produced.

A Few Questions What effect does the doubling of roles have on the Rep’s production of Henry V? How does the use of lighting and special effects impact the production? What would be most different about a version of the play without these aids? How does modern theatre etiquette differ from the behavior of audiences in Shakespeare’s day? Why do you think this is?

History

Founded in 1976, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre is the state’s largest non-profit professional theatre company. A member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT D), The Rep has produced more than 300 productions including 40 world premieres on its 385-seat MainStage and 99-seat black box SecondStage located in its historic building in downtown Little Rock. Robert Hupp, Producing Artistic Director, leads a resident staff of designers, technicians and administrators in the creation of eight to ten productions for an annual audience in excess of 70,000 for MainStage productions, educational programming and touring. The Rep employs guest artists from across the country to produce works, created, rehearsed and built in downtown Little Rock, ranging from contemporary comedies and dramas to world premieres to the classics of dramatic literature.

Mission Arkansas Repertory Theatre exists to create a diverse body of theatrical work of the highest artistic standards. With a focus on dramatic storytelling that illuminates the human journey, The Rep entertains, engages and enriches local and regional audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

About the Rep

Works Consulted Chernaik, Warren. The Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare’s History Plays. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press, 2007. Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakespeare. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. “Henry V and Catherine de Valois.” Westminster Abbey. Web. 10 August 2012. [http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/royals/burials/henry-v-and-catherine-de-valois]. McDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s,

2001.

Norwich, John Julius. Shakespeare’s Kings. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1999. Shakespeare, William. Henry V.

Arden edition (ed. T. W. Craik, 1995). Norton edition (ed. Stephen Greenblatt, Walter Cohen, Jean Howard, Katharine

Mauss, 1997). RSC edition (ed. Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen, 2007).

Study Guide Compiled By: Paige Martin Reynolds

Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production is part of

Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national program of the National

Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.