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Henry V
Henry V: The Graphic Novel : Original Text Version | William Shakespeare
42 posts | 42 read | 8 to read
It's the 15th century and the Archbishop of Canterbury, worried over impending legislation that would effectively rob the Church in England of its power and wealth, convinces Henry V to forego this pursuit in favour of laying claim to France. This title presents the historic tale of war and peace between England and France in the reign of Henry V.
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Andrea313
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Happy #StDavidsDay from Shakespeare, Fluellen, and me! #EatALeek #WindsOfMarch
@Eggs

Eggs So clever and fun 🙌🏻📚❤️ 3y
19 likes1 comment
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mavey
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review
Graywacke
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Mehso-so

I really wanted to get up and grab the book for a picture with this review, but the cat refused to be moved. She would make a terrifying queen of Medieval England. Henry V was apparently an iffy king, but the Bard makes him a hero, a somewhat odd move as the play has no villain or, well, drama. Maybe it‘s a necessary piece in his history play oeuvre. Anyway, I‘ve now read it. Thanks #shakespearerealong and @merelybookish for guiding me through.

merelybookish She is not to be trifled with! Thanks as always for your thought-full contributions. Grateful for our Shakespearereadalong crew! 3y
GingerAntics She just needs a crown and I‘m pretty sure that‘s Queen Elizabeth I. 3y
Graywacke @merelybookish she is not, and thank _you_! 🙂 @GingerAntics imagine writing political plays under that gaze... 3y
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GingerAntics I think I‘ve discovered why Shakespeare was VERY careful about that and never wrote history from his own day. I think I‘d avoid all politics or royal themes under that gaze. Sheesh. 3y
batsy I definitely feel like I must curtsey, and do it well 😼 3y
Graywacke @GingerAntics @batsy she approves. 🐈‍⬛ 3y
43 likes6 comments
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Daisey
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Mehso-so

Last weekend I had other plans and this week has been busy, so it took me until this morning to finish Henry V. This is the first history play that I‘ve read, so I‘m really not sure what to say about it in that context. There were scenes I enjoyed and others that I just didn‘t care about one way or another.

#ShakespeareReadalong #BookAndBreakfast #ArkAngelShakespeare

Velvetfur That's such a great photo 🙂 3y
Daisey @Velvetfur Thanks! It was a delicious breakfast and a great way to start my day. 3y
Graywacke Hv is an oddball. I think he just needed one happy story to play all his other histories off of. 3y
61 likes3 comments
review
batsy
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Mehso-so

To sum up, Dennis the constitutional peasant & King Arthur from Monty Python and the Holy Grail:

"DENNIS: What I object to is you automatically treat me like an inferior!

ARTHUR: Well, I AM king...

DENNIS: Oh king, eh, very nice. An' how'd you get that, eh? By exploitin' the workers -- by 'angin' on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic an' social differences in our society! ...If there's ever going to be any progress..."

batsy Thank you for organising, @merelybookish 👑 #ShakespeareReadAlong 3y
saresmoore Brilliant summary. 😂 3y
batsy @saresmoore You can always count on Monty Python 😆 3y
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paulfrankspencer Well I didn't vote for ya! 3y
batsy @paulfrankspencer Well, I thought we were an autonomous collective! 😂 3y
vivastory *Standing applause gif* Falstaff is the real hero. Hal just becomes a self-righteous boor 3y
GingerAntics 🤣😂🤣 this is a perfect review!!! 3y
batsy @vivastory Hahaha, thank you! I agree, I've a soft spot for Falstaff. "self-righteous boor" sums up Hal! 3y
TheBookHippie 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 3y
LitStephanie I am just so so on this one too. Definitely a reflection of nationalist sentiments driving the story. 3y
batsy @LitStephanie Yes, I did feel like Shakespeare was doing his patriotic duty with this one! 3y
TheBookHippie I thought this was SO TIMELY that I give it a thumbs up! 🤣🤯 3y
batsy @TheBookHippie I think it is timely! But the play probably unjustly suffered from my inability to get into it at all 😆 3y
charl08 Argh this book/play just reminds me of being 16 at school... 😫🤦‍♀️ 3y
TheBookHippie @batsy 🤣😝 I think that‘s all of 2020 and our reading 3y
batsy @charl08 Oof! I didn't read this at school but I imagine that I would not have been able to get through it 😂 3y
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Adore the Monty Python reference!!! ❤️😂🤣❤️ 3y
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merelybookish
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We did it! We finished a history play! 👏👏Act V marks the final demise of Falstaff & Co as Pistol is beaten and commits to a life of crime. There's diplomacy with France and Henry woos Katherine by telling her he is just a soldier, a homely dude, and a terrible wooer. (I was into it. I can't lie.)
Just as the play ended with Chorus, so shall we! (Also I promised @CarolynM a shot of Derek Jacobi 😄)
Final thoughts #shakespearereadalong crew?

Graywacke Thanks m! Thoughts are roughly on the theme of “enough of that”. 😐 ... ☺️... 🙊 3y
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merelybookish @Graywacke Yes enough with kings and dictators! In all areas of our life. 😉I think I really latched on to that scene because I was so ready for some intimacy. 3y
batsy I'm so sorry I've contributed nothing useful to discussions but my thoughts as I wrapped up this one were exactly the same as @Graywacke 's 😆 I was happy to see the end of it. I think I've had enough of kings in particular owing to the state of things in my country, as well. Thanks for coordinating 🌻 3y
Lcsmcat I always distrust powerful people who claim to be “just a” anything. I get why it appeals to some, and it might be justified as a “why I‘m not spouting poetry” excuse/reason. But it would put me on red alert. Of the play in general, there were some great speeches, and I can admire the writing, but it‘s not my favorite. 3y
Graywacke @merelybookish @batsy @Lcsmcat well, yeah, kings suck. But i‘m thinking my main problem is the lack of story tension. Need something tragic! 🙂 (Going a little too far, I started to think this as a pre-Netflix Thursday night sitcom. Nothing to worry about, just a few episodes to fill in some time. ...) 3y
merelybookish @batsy No need for apologies! I'm not sure there was a lot to say about this play. 🤔 And always glad to have you along. 3y
merelybookish @Lcsmcat Oh yes, totally suspect! And yet I was still a bit swayed. Like I said before, I think I was excited to have some kind of human interaction. It did make me want to watch the Branagh adaptation again, but I don't think history plays are ever going to be my favorite. 3y
Lcsmcat @merelybookish The history plays seem to be the most-quoted yet least liked of his plays, don‘t they? 3y
MoonWitch94 The final Act is the best, I think. I totally agree @merelybookish I was swayed 😆🤣 3y
merelybookish @Graywacke Are you comparing Henry V to Seinfeld? 🤣 3y
merelybookish @Lcsmcat So true! I assume once upon a time, his histories spoke more to audiences. But I'm not sure we care? Or view English history with the same kind of reverence. 3y
merelybookish @Graywacke Henry V: The Play about Nothing. 😆 (I'll stop now...) 3y
merelybookish @MoonWitch94 Nice! I think I was ready for some romance! 3y
Graywacke @merelybookish 😆 please keep going! (milder than Seinfeld. Maybe more like Growing Pains. ☺️) 3y
CarolynM 💗💗💗Ooh lovely! Thank you. 3y
mollyrotondo @merelybookish @Graywacke loving the Thursday night sitcom/Seinfeld comparisons 😂 so wonderful! 3y
mollyrotondo I did not like this act because I found it out of place. If we had more Catherine throughout the play I would have been more into it. But she was in one very short scene so I really didn‘t need for Henry to profess his love for someone I never saw him speak to before this scene. 3y
mollyrotondo As a whole I actually liked this play. I thought it was really interesting to show Henry as a king who was compassionate when it was right to be compassionate but a really good leader of war and brutal in his speeches when he had to be. But he was also out of touch with the way the common man viewed a king compared to how he viewed himself. I watched the Kenneth Branagh movie this week which really helped me like the play more. The end 👎 😂 3y
mollyrotondo Thank you @merelybookish and I also love Derek Jacobi 🤣 3y
Graywacke @mollyrotondo I think they were getting married no matter what he had to say. (I like your conclusion 😆) 3y
batsy @Lcsmcat Nicely put. This about sums it up for me. 3y
GingerAntics That about sums it up for me, too. This wasn‘t my favourite play, history or otherwise, but it wasn‘t horrible. It was fun seeing Falstaff finally getting his comeuppance. 3y
TheBookHippie I‘ve been a tad busy. Finishing this up today ...OY 3y
LitStephanie I tried to read act 5 on Sunday but fell asleep. I have read it before and seen it on the stage, and I am always bothered by Harry pressuring Kate to kiss him, which goes against her sense of propriety and French tradition. To me it doesn't bode well for the chances of a respectful partnership with boundaries. 3y
LitStephanie It is still Shakespeare and therefore has some really good parts, but I really prefer the Henry 4 cycle. I don't like Hal the king as much as Hal the prodigal son. 3y
Gezemice Sorry, I completely missed on this as my October reading did not happen. I would like to remain on the list please! 3y
merelybookish @Gezemice Of course! And I understand. We are doing Timon of Athens next. Starting next week on Nov 22. 3y
Gezemice @merelybookish Thank you! I will join! 3y
63 likes31 comments
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GingerAntics
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Mehso-so

This is not my favourite history play. It‘s really long in places it doesn‘t need to be. The French characters almost exclusively speaking French was tedious. Perhaps it was novel or commonplace for his early modern audiences, but that really fell flat for me. This one has several rather famous speeches, but I felt like they got lost in amongst the constant speeches. This really felt like the speeches play, and not in a good way.

batsy I was not a fan of this play, either. 3y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Mehso-so

It‘s not my favorite, often the history‘s aren‘t, just because Shakespeare doesn‘t get as much room to play around with plot & when he tries to force in a side plot to lighten the mood, it seems out of place. But I will admit to some soaring rhetoric mixed in with some smack talk, and some just barely almost-crosses-the-line criticism of the Monarchy‘s “divine” rights, which Shakespeare was good at poking, but not crossing.
#ShakespeareReadAlong

merelybookish Great review! This one in particular seems to operate on such a grand scale, it feels very burdened by history. Always appreciate your contributions to our discussions! 3y
batsy Great, thoughtful review. I'm struggling a lot with this play but I think it's partly due to my distracted frame of mind. 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @batsy I think that‘s a lot of it too, a serious political play, and some serious real life politics at the same time. 3y
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merelybookish
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Act IV. Lots of Henry! He mixes with the soldiers. He laments how hard it is to be king (boo hoo 🙄).He delivers his rousing St. Crispin's Day speech. (Famous band of brothers line!) And then somehow the underdog English win the Battle of Agincourt. Yay?
Also, more horse talk from the French. And a running gag about the Ancient Greeks? Pistol steals.
This act was a slog for me #shakespearereadalong. Even Chorus couldn't save it. How'd you fare?

TrishB I love your summary though! 3y
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merelybookish @TrishB Thanks! Sometimes it's easier to write when I don't like something. 3y
TheBookHippie Almost caught up!!!! Yikes. I do love this one, it is harder to read but I believe that‘s me and my anxiety. Hope to be caught up today I‘ll be back ! 🤍 3y
merelybookish @TheBookHippie I get the anxiety! 😳 But will look forward to hearing your thoughts, especially since I do not love this one. It would be good to hear why you do! Take care of yourself! 💕 3y
batsy I'm only a few pages in! I hope to come back when I've caught up. It's been a strange week with some stuff going on in life that's left me exhausted and I couldn't take a slog through Henry's world 🙈 (though this time the chorus reminds me a bit of Macbeth's Weird Sisters...) 3y
MoonWitch94 @merelybookish I agree that the chorus in this Act didn‘t help much! And the whole “It‘s so hard to be King 👑 “ nonsense just reminds me of certain other people who are in power in modern times. No thanks! 😜 3y
mollyrotondo I actually liked this act lol. I like how this act makes me feel unsure whether or not I like Henry. He annoyed me when he told his soldiers (in disguise) that a king cannot be responsible for the deaths of his men when he sets out for battle under a honorable cause. But I really like him when he respects Michael Williams‘s courage and gives him money. He is a great leader in times of war, but I don‘t think his reasons for war make him a good ⬇️ 3y
mollyrotondo ...leader for all his people. I agree with Michael Williams that Henry is sending his men to a likely death for a reason that really will not help his people. It reminds me of our country‘s fight during the draft for the Vietnam War. What are we fighting for? And who is to blame for the deaths of the men in a war lacking just cause? 3y
GingerAntics This was a long and winding act for me. I felt like each scene sort of did whatever it wanted to do, no matter what the one before it did. Then again, that could have been the audio I was listening to. I swear, all the French characters speak French whenever speaking, so I rarely know what‘s going on with them without the text. I suppose it makes sense that for Shakespeare, the English will always beat the French? (edited) 3y
GingerAntics I supposed he‘s not going to change major details like military victories or losses, though. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 3y
Graywacke Like @mollyrotondo I liked this act - some aspects a lot. It‘s the first time I‘ve thought that with this play. There is a lot I didn‘t like - in the sense of not approving. So appreciate your take, @merelybookish 3y
Graywacke This was my favorite chorus. And I really liked Henry‘s first long soliloquy in scene one where he goes over being king and expressed doubts. I did NOT like his “oh these deaths aren‘t my fault, i just said go fight” bit. Of course the justifications presented don‘t work in our eyes. But the bard toys with the justification of kings and what they do. Dangerous territory. He kept it safe, but hung out on the boundaries a few times. I liked that. 3y
mollyrotondo @Graywacke yes I had a huge problem with the same speech. I like how there are so many gray areas of war that this act addresses. 3y
LitStephanie I thought the list of the dead was poignant. I was sad the Constable of France was dead. I like how Shakespeare had us get to know some of the French nobles who end up on the dead tally so we feel their deaths. Another of the several reminders in this play of how much war sucks for individuals. 3y
batsy I finally finished this act and it was indeed a slog for me, as well! Like @Graywacke I enjoyed Henry's first soliloquy for the beautiful language, if not for the sentiment. The sentiment made me think of that Monty Python segment: "I am your king." "I didn't vote for you." "You don't vote for kings." "Well how'd you become king then?" ? 3y
Graywacke @batsy 😂 ( ❤️ Monty Python ) 3y
merelybookish @MoonWitch94 Hard not to roll one's eyes when he's talking about how much easier slaves have it. 3y
merelybookish @mollyrotondo @Graywacke Wow, fun to read you had the opposite experience. I get what you're saying about Henry, that we get more insight into his private thoughts. 3y
merelybookish @GingerAntics My edition isn't translated but it's basic enough I can read it. Everything that is said in French is pretty...simple-minded. It is an interesting choice on Shakespeare's part to include some untranslated French. 3y
merelybookish @LitStephanie Yes, we get to see different strata of societies and both sides. It is sweeping in its representation. I don't necessarily enjoy it but it is impressive. 3y
merelybookish @batsy Sadly that Monty Python skit is very apropos to US politics as well as this play. 😐 3y
MoonWitch94 @merelybookish UGH. An eye roll and a bitchslap is what was needed 😂🤣 Every single time I read this play, it‘s THE most infuriating part. 3y
GingerAntics @merelybookish reading it is fine, it‘s listening to it. It‘s just a hot mess and the “actors” have made the accents so thick they could be saying anything. They could just be making random French sounds. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I‘m just sorry LibriVox was my only option for audio on this one. 3y
48 likes25 comments
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Daisey
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I didn‘t quite make it through all of Act III last Sunday, so I had several pages of Shakespeare to catch up through the end of Act IV this morning. I did not realize there was going to be this much French in the play, but I think as with last week‘s conversation, I was able to decipher enough to follow the gist of it.

#ShakespeareReadalong #BookAndBreakfast #ArkAngelShakespeare

SheReadsAndWrites I absolutely love that you do this every week! 🤓❤️ 3y
Lcsmcat I was surprised too at how much French there was. I read it, so comprehension wasn‘t a problem, but I wonder how the “groundlings” did in Shakespeare‘s day. Would there be enough stage action to keep them from getting bored and throwing rotten vegetables? 3y
Velvetfur That's a lovely cosy, warm picture 😊 3y
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Daisey @SheReadsAndWrites Thank you! It works well since usually an act is not too long, yet it can seem tough to fit in during a busy week. 3y
Daisey @Velvetfur Thank you! It did make for a very cosy breakfast. ☕️ 3y
Daisey @Lcsmcat I wondered the same. If I‘m figuring it out, but often using spelling, how well would they get it? Yet, I can also see that in both the scenes so far, acting could portray a lot of the meaning. 3y
LitStephanie @Lcsmcat and @Daisey I can only assume that there were a lot of educated people in England who knew French. It was the official language of the English court for 300 years (only until 1362, but the French were right across the channel), but yeah, you do have to wonder how restless the people in the cheap seats must have gotten during 3.4! 3y
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merelybookish
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Once more unto the breach dear #Shakespearereadalong friends, once more! Act 3 is long? Lots of scenes moving between kings and captains, English and French. Henry's army is in trouble. Katherine is learning English. Bardolph is to be executed. Shakespeare has fun with accents. The Dauphin loves his horse. Overall, I find I'm enjoying certain passages (eg Boy's speech in scene 2) more than the play itself. What say you?

merelybookish Some other scenes/passages I liked: scene 4 with Katherine & Alice (real female characters! Not just threats of raping females!); Constable's speech about English/French iciness in scene 5; Gower's speech about returning war heroes in scene 6; and Chorus's speech, of course! 3y
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merelybookish Also autocorrect changed breach to beach in my original post. Somehow "once more unto the beach" sounds quite nice. ? Especially as it's snowing here today in CO. 3y
Graywacke Into the 🏝 !! Sorry CO is cold. Gorgeous in Houston for two days. (Seriously had fun with your typo with my own - hold for cold. Not as fun, mine.) (edited) 3y
Graywacke I think the Chorus gets better. The rest seemed like a lot of arrogant asses being arrogant asses. Some fun in there, but oye. Seems a head-on collision of egos (er, armies) approaches. 3y
merelybookish @Graywacke Well said! Lots of arrogant asses indeed! I think we are supposed to be rooting for the English but it's pretty tomato/tomahto. 3y
batsy Yes, that's what struck me! The Dauphin really loves his horse. 🐴 I loved the exchange between Katherine and Alice, as well. Also the last scene; I know it's mocking French traits but in a tongue-in-cheek manner Shakespeare got to throw in a few jabs at the English. Otherwise, agree with @Graywacke lots of asses! Also, Henry is really good (as monarchs are wont to be, I guess) at rousing rhetoric while remaining cold-eyed and merciless himself. 3y
Lcsmcat Have to agree with the arrogant asses opinions! And @merelybookish I felt that “notable quotes” were jumping out at me from every page. Do you suppose those bits stood out to the original audience, or just to us because we‘ve heard them all our lives? (edited) 3y
MoonWitch94 I‘m behind! A busy week. I‘ll have to catch up for next week. But reading everyone‘s comments reminds me that I felt similarly last time I read this Act. 3y
GingerAntics I agree with greatly enjoying certain speeches more than I‘m enjoying the play. The play isn‘t bad, just some of these speeches really shine. I can see why some of these speeches are so famous. 3y
Graywacke @GingerAntics @Lcsmcat I have to admit I‘m not taking to the speeches. (Also I don‘t recognize any lines). I like how @batsy put it, “cold-eyes and merciless”. He could be reading a variation of the Bible apocalypse(s) in that one speech, himself as god, of course (or John, or Moses, or Jeremiah...etc) 3y
Lcsmcat @Graywacke I grew up in a household where Shakespeare was quoted without attribution. So my mom would say “once more unto the breach” as part of daily conversation, but left it to us to discover she was quoting Shakespeare. So there are lines that just rise off the page for me. 3y
Graywacke @Lcsmcat your mom was pretty cool. 🙂 3y
Lcsmcat @Graywacke Thanks. I think so. 😀 3y
merelybookish @batsy Good description of Henry. I find I have little interest in what he has to say. He might be rousing the troops but it's not working on me. 😄 3y
merelybookish @Lcsmcat I can't claim to have recognized more than Henry's opening. (Not sure my mother quoted it but I know I grew up hearing that line tossed about!) But I do like the writing in spots. It is so clear and precise. Like I understand exactly what is being said or described. Perhaps I thought a history would be harder to read than his others but I actually find it easier, for the most part. 3y
Lcsmcat @merelybookish I think the histories are easier to understand because there‘s less word play and the dialog is slower. The speed of the comedies can rival The Gilmore Girls sometimes. 😀 3y
GingerAntics @Graywacke he does seem to think of himself in the god role. I suppose that‘s a manifestation of divine right. 3y
merelybookish @Lcsmcat That makes a lot of sense! The dialog is definitely not zingy! 3y
Graywacke @Lcsmcat interesting comment. @GingerAntics There might be some intent there. Not, you know, enlightened warfare anyway. (I‘m not suggesting there is enlightened warfare) 3y
mollyrotondo I agree that there are lines that intrigue me but this Act especially didn‘t move me as a whole. The scene with Catherine and Alice was all in French in my edition so I mostly had to look up what was going on in that scene. I thought Henry‘s ultimatum speech to Harfleur was the best part. It stood out. The rest was a little boring. This is another play that I think watching it would help me connect better like Antony & Cleopatra 3y
GingerAntics @Graywacke yeah, I agree there is definitely intent. Enlightened warfare sounds interesting, but I don‘t think that‘s his intent, either. 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Finally caught up with this act tonight. I‘m glad I wasn‘t the only one who got all French in the Katherine/Alice Act, but I could glean she was teaching her the English word for parts of the body. @batsy Yes, the price REALLY loves his horse, maybe a bit too much according to our English playwright...maybe he was making a bit of a fool out of the opposition‘s prince? (edited) 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Otherwise, I agree lots of speechifying to rally the troops and talk a big game before the battle, basically troop rallying meets talking smack, LOL! 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Lcsmcat I noticed a few notable lines jumping out to me too, it‘s funny which lines of his became famous and often repeated euphemisms for things and which didn‘t....always makes me wonder why those specially caught attention and were often repeated to the point of becoming part of the language. 3y
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merelybookish
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Henry V Act II - the focus is war with treason, strategizing, and diplomacy. The comic relief comes from Pistol et al who report the death of Falstaff. Thoughts on this act #shakespearereadalong? Was it a lackluster end for one of Shakespeare's great characters? Is Henry on a divine mission? Any one else like Chorus's speeches best?

TheBookHippie FALSTAFF how we missed him... I have to say some if the quotes I want in my everyday language also I‘ve taken to saying I have rage in my lungs 🤣😬 Yes it felt like air out of a ballon instead of a big POP! 3y
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TheBookHippie I like how our plays are timely with what‘s happening around us this year. Uncanny. I couldn‘t help but think of the religiosity happening in politics right now. 3y
Lcsmcat I‘m loving the Chorus and the minor characters a lot in this Act. As to Falstaff‘s end, it kind of lines up with reality. Many notorious people go out with a whimper instead of a bang. (Sorry T. S. Eliot) 3y
merelybookish @TheBookHippie So true! And this play is interesting because I feel like we are supposed to trust/believe in the power that be (esp. the king) but it feels pretty contrary to our beliefs. I feel like Will had fun writing the scenes with Pistol and others. Let him be playful unlike the scenes with all the pompous dignitaries. 3y
merelybookish @Lcsmcat I love how the Chorus "sets the stage" for us and helps us imagine what is happening! 3y
Daisey @merelybookish @Lcsmcat I‘m really enjoying the Chorus sections; they‘ve been some of my favorite parts so far. 3y
Graywacke I find the chorus a curious entraining thing; and Pistol (and Nym) all but indecipherable in their lingo and slang. I had to read scene two twice, along with an explanation. But Henry seems to enjoy his epic rant on (paper cutout?) traitors. (edited) 3y
merelybookish @Graywacke oh I know, absolutely incomprehensible! 😅 I also had to read twice. And figured.getting half of it was pretty good. 3y
MoonWitch94 I agree that the chorus is entertaining & (for me) the main reason I‘ve never bailed on reading this play. 3y
GingerAntics I‘ve managed to get behind. I‘m going to read Act II today. I haven‘t forgotten, I promise. 3y
mollyrotondo @Graywacke I need an explanation too in scene II. I didn‘t read Henry IV so I wasn‘t familiar with Falstaff. But after understanding who died, I find that I like these commoners‘s part in the play most entertaining. They were friends of a man who was cast out by the King and that dismissal destroyed him and he died. I mean what better set up for revenge and betrayal. 3y
mollyrotondo I also find it interesting how honorable Henry is so far in the play. He lets the drunkard go but he sniffs out his betrayers and sentences them to death. No pardoning any of them even though he might be friends with them. Nope. He makes the hard decision without batting an eye but remains merciful to a citizen. King Charles is actually pretty respectable as well. It‘s the son who seems to be a hothead in this one. 3y
mollyrotondo I didn‘t think I was liking this act but after reading your responses and typing out my own, I am enjoying the play more than I thought lol 3y
Graywacke @mollyrotondo Falstaff is one of Shakespeare‘s most famous rascals and the dominant character in the H iv plays. And his friends are pretty much all decrepit. 🙂 (the play‘s point is this was Henry‘s milieu as prince. Although I thought he had a clear touch of class as a bad boy. Anyway he‘s changed as king. Question the good and bad of it.) 3y
mollyrotondo @Graywacke oh okay so that whole bunch were his friends. I can see why his change in this play is so hard to believe for some and so talked about by others. 3y
Graywacke @mollyrotondo The Dauphin makes sense now, right? 3y
mollyrotondo @Graywacke yes he makes so much more sense. Thank you for this clarification! 3y
batsy I'm not sure what to add to this because I really struggled with this Act for some reason! I read some parts twice and still don't know what I read... On the bright side, I enjoyed the chorus 😂 Maybe it's my frame of mind at the moment. 3y
merelybookish @batsy Everything is operating on such a grand scale, I think it's lacking the human insight we usually get with Shakespeare. I find none of the characters feels very real or interesting. Maybe that's the disconnect. 3y
merelybookish @MoonWitch94 Have you read it before? 3y
merelybookish @GingerAntics No need to apologize. I've been known to get behind and never catch up again. 🙈 3y
merelybookish @mollyrotondo Glad you got some helpful context from @Graywacke. And glad the discussion is helping you enjoy it more. Can't say it's my favorite but I do appreciate learning what everyone else picks up on/responds to! And that Dauphin is a hothead! 3y
MoonWitch94 @merelybookish Yes, once in High School & once for a Shakespeare study in college. Both were voluntary reads. 3y
GingerAntics @merelybookish I read act II last night, then totally forgot to come back. 😂 No idea where my head is. I was so glad to finally see the end of Falstaff. I‘m not going to lie. 3y
Pinta Have you seen the Guthrie theatre‘s distanced version of “O for a muse of fire?” All the actors are great, but 💜 Courtney Vance‘s laid-back swagger and Mark Rylance‘s intimate near-whisper. So different from the bombast and arm-waving of a staged version, lovely & small but strong. https://youtu.be/wSFw4oSJ498 3y
batsy @merelybookish Yes, I think so! I think for that reason I'm drawn to the Dauphin the most. That petty, snarky mean girl vibe makes him seem the realest of the lot. 3y
LitStephanie @Graywacke @batsy @merelybookish I also had a hard time with the dialects and weird expressions in this one. I was baffled by 2.1 and had to read most of the footnotes. Even with the footnotes, I didn't have the foggiest idea who these people were or what they were talking about until more than halfway through the scene. 3y
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Daisey
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Good Morning! It‘s time for Sunday morning Shakespeare with breakfast again. This morning it‘s sourdough pancakes with baked apples. I listened to Act I again as I wasn‘t very focused last week, and now I‘m ready to go on to Act II.

#ShakespeareReadalong #BookAndBreakfast #ArkAngelShakespeare

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batsy
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Don't mind me, just a grown adult having an uncontrollable giggle over "Pistol's cock is up" #PistolMetaphors

#ShakespeareReadAlong @merelybookish

Lcsmcat 😂 3y
BiblioLitten 😄 3y
GingerAntics 🤣 3y
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merelybookish 😆 nothing like some pistol humour! 😜 3y
merelybookish Also, not entirely sure what it means but thinking I'd like to find an opportunity to say "Hold-fast is the only dog"! 3y
rwmg As I suspect WS meant you to 3y
UwannaPublishme 😂😂😂 3y
TheBookHippie Spit out my coffee!!!! I am loving the text on this one 🤣 3y
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TheBookHippie
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#shakespearereadalong

Playing catch up I‘ll comment soon!

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merelybookish
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Act I of Henry V! The prologue asks us to imagine a battlefield upon the stage. Henry is wayward prince no more but an ideal king. Invasion of France is decided upon (based on a questionable claim.) Henry returns the Dauphin's 'gift' of tennis balls with a declaration of war. 🎾🎾
Overall found the act dense but easy to read. Lots of love for king and country! I expect more to come! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Thoughts so far #shakespearereadalong?

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I had to smile to myself.... all that history of intermarriage for peace, that also led to war because everyone had relative claims (multigenerational claims) on all the European countries. 🤦‍♀️ 3y
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batsy I thought the Act was kind of slow until the Dauphin's gift of tennis balls arrived to add some spice to the proceedings. Could we say that Harry definitely has something to prove owing to past proclivities for fun and sport? It'll be interesting to see if Shakespeare's depiction of him changes as we proceed. Also, how deft was the Archbishop of Canterbury in setting forth a plan that would ensure that his coffers remain filled 😳 3y
Lcsmcat @Riveted_Reader_Melissa The genealogical aspect was interesting. Imagine if we all had armies to deploy when Thanksgiving dinner conversation got heated. 😀 3y
Lcsmcat @batsy The tennis balls sent me on an internet search on the history of tennis, because I couldn‘t help but ask whether it was around in Henry V‘s day. It was, but without rackets, whereas in Shakespeare‘s day they had them. 3y
Graywacke @Lcsmcat without rackets? Handball? 3y
Graywacke Interesting to see the Bishops‘ motivation and support of war for their own ends. They also had some nice lines to describe Hv. I liked “Consideration like an angel came And whipped th‘ offending Adam out of him” and... (next post). 3y
Graywacke Turn him to any cause of policy,
The Gordian knot of it he will unloose,
Familiar as his garter; that when he speaks,
The air, a chartered libertine, is still,
And the mute wonder lurketh in men‘s ears
To steal his sweet and honeyed sentences;
3y
MoonWitch94 A very easy, full Act. A good stage setting. 3y
Lcsmcat @Graywacke Sort of like handball except, by the time of Henry V they wore leather mitts. In the 1500s the mitts were given a web of strings, then a handle, and voilà, a racket. 3y
LitStephanie While there is no historical record of the tennis ball taunt, it sure is fun! @Riveted_Reader_Melissa yes, very funny how making peace marriages caused wars later on. 3y
LitStephanie The Archbishop urges war as a scheme to get more money for the church, the King and the nobility see it as a great opportunity for glory and land grabbing, and, as usual, the common people who have no say will bear the brunt of the cost through hardship, taxes, and casualties. 3y
GingerAntics The gift of tennis balls seemed so modern; even though, I know full well it‘s not. For some reason those tennis balls really stuck out to me. 3y
Melismatic Jumping in to this now! 3y
Graywacke @LitStephanie implying a modern parallel? ☺️ 3y
Graywacke @GingerAntics I‘m having trouble not seeing Wilsons and Penns.... 🙂 3y
GingerAntics @Graywacke right? I‘m envisioning a bag of a bunch of those 4 count tubes of tennis balls. The Dauphin cleaned out all the sporting goods stores around the castle. 🤣😂🤣 The French Open is going to have some trouble getting enough balls this year, and they can‘t say anything because it was the Dauphin. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 3y
Melismatic I wasn‘t expecting such a comedic open! I‘m excited for this one - I‘ve never read it before! 3y
batsy @Lcsmcat Oh, that's fascinating! I meant to find out so thanks for that 😁 3y
merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Which they obviously tracked down to the most inconsequential marriage when need be! 3y
merelybookish @batsy According to my introduction, Henry V is the divine king now. So not open to criticism. The concern isn't about him but about the need for heirs. (Because that was the concern for Elizabethans who feared what would happen after her reign.) Still, hopefully he proves a dynamic character! 3y
merelybookish @Lcsmcat Adding my gratitude for the tennis lesson. 🙂 I also meant to look that up. This scene really captures the saying 'the ball(s) is in your court.'! 3y
merelybookish @Graywacke Yes, I liked that discussion of Henry as well. Also now the strawberry plant grows amongst weaker plants. 3y
merelybookish @LitStephanie Yes, my introduction put this in an Elizabethan context so the belief that warfare is good for the nation. But I'm hoping there is a bit more nuance to it. 3y
merelybookish @GingerAntics It really is a striking scene! 3y
merelybookish @Melismatic I read it years ago but don't remember it at all! I'm excited so many of us are reading it! 🙂 3y
merelybookish @MoonWitch94 I found it easy as well which was a relief. 😅 3y
LitStephanie @merelybookish yup. But I mention it because I think WS wanted us to think about it. This play talks quite a bit about the impact of war on the little people. 3y
LitStephanie @Graywacke hahaha! No, was definitely not thinking about, for example, America's second invasion of Iraq, LOL. 3y
Lcsmcat @merelybookish “ball(s) in your court.” Yes. Yes it does. 😂 3y
GingerAntics @merelybookish @Lcsmcat 🤣😂🤣 (edited) 3y
TheBookHippie Thankful for an easier read this time also I may prefer the histories 🤷🏽‍♀️ having just watched all of the French Open I too picturing the yellow fuzzy 🤣 I‘m thinking about the CHURCH part and being not good for “commoners” also reminds me a bit of Robin Hood times . I am going to reread it once more. This ones new to me. 3y
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Lcsmcat
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This act sent me down a rabbit hole of the history of tennis, which was called “jeu de paume” and played without rackets, but did exist, and was very popular in France during the time of Henry V. #shakespearereadalong

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Daisey
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It is a beautiful fall morning, so I‘m enjoying breakfast outside while listening to my Sunday morning Shakespeare before church. I especially appreciated how the scene was set at the beginning of Act 1.

#ShakespeareReadalong #BookAndBreakfast #ArkAngelShakespeare

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GingerAntics
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Graywacke
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My introduction says lots of pageantry. Curious how that‘s a dramatic draw. Anyway, #shakespearereadalong , I‘ve cracked this open. (Also, that‘s a really weird way to get on a 🐴. )

GingerAntics That is very odd, the cover there. Pageantry, huh? Well, I suppose royal highnesses and pageantry sort of go together, don‘t they? 3y
merelybookish Maybe the only way to get on a horse when in a full suit of armor? 3y
Graywacke @GingerAntics it is a strange cover. A very lonely looking king. 3y
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Graywacke @merelybookish some fun on men in armor. Be sure to watch the video in question 2. http://www.mackenziekincaid.com/writing/4-things-writers-get-wrong-about-knights... 3y
GingerAntics Lonely, and quite frankly, uncomfortable! I‘m enjoying the link you sent @merelybookish as well. I find it funny that I was told in 4th or 5th grade that a knight once in his armour couldn‘t get out of it unless it was broken off in battle. I wonder why that never raises questions for me at 9 or 10 years old. 3y
Graywacke @GingerAntics had no idea either. I thought if they fell off their horse they were dead - or they had to do that slow lumbering walk and swing their swords like drunkards. 🙂☺️ 3y
merelybookish Well myth busted. Pretty funny to see a guy in armour scaling a rock climbing wall. 🙂 But I must have seen the Laurence Olivier scene at some point because I have a vivid picture of a knight being lowered on to a horse like that. 3y
GingerAntics EXACTLY!!! Which makes no sense, because they would have to be able to swing their swords properly while on the horse. 3y
batsy I thought it a strange and grim cover, too. 3y
Graywacke @merelybookish I found the that video really entertaining. But I guess if the armor is heavy enough, maybe ceremonial, then this might be the way to get on the horse. 3y
Graywacke @GingerAntics see, thinking this through I should have realized swords wouldn‘t make any sense that way. 3y
Graywacke @batsy agree! At first it looks like a hanging 3y
GingerAntics It‘s really amazing how many of our beliefs about knights don‘t stand up to logic, but we all believe them and they‘re even in movies. 3y
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merelybookish
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Stoic Kenneth Branagh on the Cliffs of Dover with a friendly reminder that our #shakespearereadalong of Henry V starts this Sunday with Act I. All welcome!
@GingerAntics @Graywacke

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LitsyHappenings
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Repost @merelybookish :
Okay, #shakespearereadalong folx, next up is Henry V! We can do it! Kenneth Branagh believes in us!
Discussion of Act 1 kicks off October 11. You know the drill!
👑If you want to join us for some Shakespearean history, comment & I‘ll add you to the group tag.
👑 If you want a break, comment and I‘ll remove your name.
(And if you think I'm going to use this play as an excuse to post pics of young KB, you‘d be right. 😛)

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Liz_M
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I do love a Shakespeare garden!

@merelybookish #shakespearereadalong

charl08 Wow. Where is this? 3y
Liz_M @charl08 Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 😊 It's a small section, but packed with plants and quotes. 3y
merelybookish Perfect! 3y
LitStephanie Love it! 3y
17 likes4 comments
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merelybookish
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Okay #shakespearereadalong folx, next up is Henry V! We can do it! Kenneth Branagh believes in us!
Discussion of Act 1 kicks off October 11th. You know the drill!
👑If you want to join us for some Shakespearean history, comment and I will add you to the group tag.
👑 If you want a break, comment and I will remove your name.
(And if you think I'm going to use this play as an excuse to post pics of young KB, you would be right. 😛)

Melismatic I‘m ready! 3y
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GingerAntics Hello Hank!!! 3y
erzascarletbookgasm I‘ll take a break for this play, although I‘ll be stalking your posts for pics of KB! 3y
CarolynM I'll join if you'll post some pics of Derek Jacobi as Chorus 😍 ...Swoon... 3y
merelybookish @erzascarletbookgasm Understand the need for a break! Do you still wanted to be tagged? 3y
merelybookish @CarolynM That could definitely be arranged! 😉 3y
SamAnne I would love to join! 3y
erzascarletbookgasm I can easily look up the posts, so less one person to tag. 😉 3y
merelybookish @SamAnne Excellent! 3y
merelybookish @erzascarletbookgasm Very nice! But happy to re-tag you if/when you wish to rejoin. 3y
merelybookish Oops just realized I missed tagging you @CoffeeNBooks 3y
LitStephanie Boom, I am in! 3y
LitStephanie This is my least favorite Shakespeare history, but hey, it's Shakespeare, so least favorite is still better than the favorite of some. 3y
mollyrotondo I‘m excited! 3y
Lcsmcat 🙋🏻‍♀️ 3y
TheBookHippie 🤣I‘m in!! 3y
batsy I'm in! As always 😆 3y
Graywacke Oops, have to a get a copy. I‘m certainly in though. 3y
Liz_M You know it's serious because KB is clean-shaven. Beards are for funny roles. (edited) 3y
merelybookish @Liz_M Good to know! Pretty sure KB can rock both. 3y
mollyrotondo @merelybookish woot woot 🎉 3y
MoonWitch94 I‘m still in! And ohhhhh young KB 😍 3y
SamAnne I still can't forgive him for cheating on Emma Thompson with Helena Bonham Carter! I've forgiven HBC but not KB. 🌞 😄 🙄 🙄 😏 😏 3y
LitStephanie @merelybookish yay and thanks for hosting the discussion! @SamAnne welcome! 3y
SamAnne @litstephanie glad to finally get on board the train! 3y
CoffeeNBooks I'm going to try to find time to read this one with you all! 3y
merelybookish @SamAnne I get it. Cheating is not attractive. But Emma Thompson seems pretty happy so I think she did okay in the end. 3y
LitStephanie Oops, guess I had my dates wrong. Thought this Sunday was Act 1 and already posted something. Nice to be ahead, though. 3y
merelybookish @LitStephanie Oops! We usually give ourselves 2 weeks between plays. But it IS nice to be ahead!! 3y
Gezemice Thanks! off to the library... 3y
merelybookish @LitsyHappenings could you share please! 3y
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TheSpineView
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LiterRohde
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“O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend/The brightest heaven of invention!”

#StarTrekSummerJune | 19: #TheMuse

📷: Made with Typorama

Megabooks Every time I love your graphic/quote pairing more!! 5y
LiterRohde @Megabooks Thanks! 😊 5y
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the_book_hoarder
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One of literature's greatest proclamation of love

sudi Hi 🙋 Welcome To Litsy 😊 5y
flying_monkeys Welcome to Litsy! 📚 5y
rretzler Welcome and enjoy! 🎉📚😀 5y
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Lcsmcat Welcome to Litsy! I find it interesting that so many of the best Shakespeare quotes are from the history plays. 5y
Tonton Welcome!😎 5y
BethM Welcome! 5y
Crazeedi Welcome to litsy!!🎉🎉🎉 5y
Bklover Welcome to Litsy! 5y
Smrloomis Welcome! 🥳 5y
the_book_hoarder @sudi @flying_monkeys @rretzler @Lcsmcat @Tonton @Beth M @Crazeedi @Bklover @Smrloomis Sry for replying late, thanks everyone. I look forward to this 😁 5y
the_book_hoarder @BethM thanks Beth for the warm welcome, 5y
lover.of.the.classics Welcome to the Litsy Family!!! 5y
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Lcsmcat
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review
rabbitprincess
Pickpick

My second favourite of the four plays that comprise the first series of "The Hollow Crown". Having Tom Hiddleston in mind certainly helped me picture things more clearly ? I also thought the French-lessons scene very amusing, if random.

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Kimberlone
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I enjoy when this calendar subtly comments on holidays. #goodfriday

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Lcsmcat
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A different use of the word #literature. Who but the Bard used it as a verb? #quotsymarch18 @TK-421

GingerAntics Not sure, but I would guess other people did after he did. 6y
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Christinak
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Thanks to Tom Hiddleston my daughter and her friends became interested in Shakespeare😊

#NovemberByTheNumbers
#five
#5

melrailey ❤️ he‘s narrated some books and I have totally been guilty of buying them just to have Tom Huddleston read to me. 6y
DGRachel He‘s so yummy. I just saw Thor: Ragnarok today. I totally went for Loki. 😍😍 6y
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Emma3
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Went to finish our Shakespeare tour in Stratford-upon-Avon and there were two more with the new covers which I love 😍 plus had to get a colouring book!

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GinEyre22
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#seductiveshakespeare Day 10: Henry V

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Lcsmcat
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A problem many of us face, if we be honest. 😀. #HenryV #seductiveShakespeare @jenniferw88 (image courtesy of Google)

Marchpane 😂😂😂 7y
merelybookish That Shakespeare! 😂 7y
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merelybookish
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Kenneth Branagh as #HenryV 😍😍😍
#seductiveshakespeare @jenniferw88

Caroline2 Oh I do love a bit of Kenneth Branagh! 😍 I'm really looking forward to seeing him as Pirot! 👏🏻 7y
Cathythoughts Kenneth Branagh ! He really can't do any wrong 💫💫❤️ 7y
ValerieAndBooks Kenneth Branagh 💖!! Now I want to watch this movie again! 7y
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juph
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"You have witchcraft in your lips"

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valeriegeary
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Bathroom reading.

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Natasha.C.Barnes
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#feistyfeb Day 7: #alltheworldsastage with my copy of Henry 5 from 1901!

DivineDiana What a wonderful possession! 📚 7y
Natasha.C.Barnes @DivineDiana Thanks! (Too bad about the damage to the top.) A dear friend of mine found some copies with different plays and had me and our mutual friend choose our favorite Shakespeare plays from among them. Sweetest gesture EVER, right?! 7y
DivineDiana @Natasha.c.barnes Absolutely! 7y
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writerlibrarian
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It's good to be King...and a good night for hockey. Pens are in Montreal. So Hiddleston as Henry makes royalty looks good. #readjanuary #royals #readingandwatchinghockey

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brendanmleonard
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Happy (belated) St. Crispin's Day! Henry V is in my top three Shakespeare (the other two are Richard III and Macbeth), and I love the St. Crispin's Day speech. It's such an iconic role played by so many iconic actors and Famous British People - here's just a sampling. How many of these can you guess? #thisdayinbooks

LisaJo Thank you for posting this. It's pretty much made my day and my day has just started. Henry the IV Part One is my favorite Shakespeare play followed closely by Henry V. When my niece was in high school she came to visit me for a summer, we spent a weekend watching the BBC War of the Roses plays. My niece bragged to all her friends that her cool aunt let her watch Tom Hiddleston Shakespeare plays. #myfinestmoment 7y
Marchpane Guy in the middle row on the right = Justin Timberlake. Yes? 😉 7y
brendanmleonard @Marchpane no but now I want to see j-tims henry v 7y
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Marchpane Lol, was only kidding but I'd love to see it too! Kinda looks like JT's ballot box pic 😂 7y
Dragon Tom Hiddleston, Kenneth Branagh, Laurence Olivier , ? 7y
wonga ♥️Hollow Crown series! 7y
Mariposa_Bookworm Is one of them Liev Schreiber? 7y
Mariposa_Bookworm No one mentioned Jude Law (He is a cutie on duty!) but I am totally flummoxed by the bottom right. 7y
brendanmleonard Bottom right is baby Mark Rylance 7y
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OwenBanner
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Pickpick

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;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother.
- William Shakespeare (Henry V)

Anyone who is a fan of epic fantasy, history, or poetry should check out Shakespeare's plays of England's kings, especially if you like Game of Thrones. If reading them seems a little steep, give BBC'S The Hollow Crown a try.

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