concise history of Henry

this is a personal sum-up with an important events timeline at the bottom.

http://www.britroyals.com/kings.asp?id=henry5

HENRY V: the other characters, in speaking order

Cantebury: young, energetic, ambitious, greedy - only in the first act

Ely: smarter than Cantebury and knows it, more of a butt-kisser - only in the first act

Westmoreland: FIERCELY LOYAL, like a brother from another mother - always with Henry (like his Horatio)

Exeter:  likes war A LOT, instigator, likes to be in the know about plots and gossip, FIERCELY LOYAL, BRAVE, wants to be so manly - great supporting role

Ambassador/Montjoy: honest, expressive, truly impressed by Henry - great supporting role

Bardolph: mediator, diplomat, great insight, ugly, gets hanged for stealing from a church - great supporting role, but he dies half way through the play

Nym: suggests extreme violence, but is pretty non-committal, hilariously full of paradoxes, ape-like? - disappears when the boy chooses to leave

Pistol: insulting, sounds like a lion or a drunk, sings, loyal to friends, wordy at times when speaking to betters, LOVES HARRY, fierce, humiliate-able - great supporting role

Hostess: a sexpot who has sexual tension with everyone - VERY cameo part

Boy: high standards, he is of a higher class than his friends, he is keen on manhood & honor, speaks french - great supporting role for a boy

Bedford: the kings brother... but he might get cut and split between Essex and Westmoreland and Bedford

Scroop: bedfellow and traitor to the king, great deciever, conservative, SO SO SO SO SO remorseful - only in one scene, but a GREAT opportunity to act and be acted upon

Cambridge: grounded and supportive of the king, well-honored, traitor - only in one scene

Grey: the most insincere of the traitors, of the lowest rank of the traitors, no one really cares about his betrayal - only in one scene

King of France: wise, careful, afraid of war from years of fighting, wily - in three scenes

Burgundy: poetic, diplomatic, the facilitator of peace - in two or three scenes

Dauphin: arrogant, proud, chauvinistic, hubrific - great supporting role

Constable: scolding, proud, warhonored, best armor of the nobility - great supporting role

Orleans: nothing to say... nothing special stuck out... might get cut or enmeshed with French Soldier/Rambures/Burbon

Governor of Harfleur: nothing to say... he is necessary for one scene... but he could just be a voice...?

Katherine: intelligent, stubborn, careful like her father, beautiful enough for Henry - great supporting role


Alice: cultured, lived in England, protective, straight-laced - great supporting role

Gower: serious, sidekick to Fluellen, Scottish?

Fluellen: spouting history constantly, the Welsh Homer, careful, valorous, praising peers, a bit strange, LOYAL - great supporting role


Glouster: brother of king, tough, peace maker, might get cut/divided between Westmoreland/Essex/etc...?


Rambures: a betting frenchman


Thomas Erpingham: an old knight, worthy to serve, with a good sense of humor - great cameo for an older man


Warwick: a tough guy or a peace maker... buddy to the king

Bates: English soldier, afraid, spiteful to the king, faithful

Court: English soldier - not so important, might get cut


Williams: English soldier, pessimist, comradierey, puts sin of war on king - for judgement day reckoning, wuarrels with the king, righteous, temper, poor, bad shoes - great supporting role in the latter half of the play

Salisbury: happy, optimistic, the guy everyone likes, kind, friend, valorous, princely

York: volunteers for the most dangerous mission, youngish

French Soldier: ready to be ransomed

Burbon: Fights to the end, French soldier, fears shame, has nothing to love?, might combine Rambores with this character to create a cavalier French noble


English Herald: not very interesting yet...

French Queen: slightly fierce, angry with Henry and unable to hold it in, strong & shares leadership with her husband - cameo, again...

Clarence: brother of king? may just cut...