Henry V by William Shakespeare ENG 400: BRITISH LITERATURE UNIT II: CELEBRATING HUMANITY PART 4 (DAYS 9 & 10)

Literary Technique: Use of Opposites Antithesis Antithesis is a literary technique that places opposites near each other for effect or to reveal a truth. This may be done with Words: “His jest will savor but of shallow wit/When thousands weep more than did laugh at it.” Situations: a serious scene may be followed by a comedic one for contrast Foils A foil is a character who is to be compared and contrasted with the protagonist. A foil’s similarities to the protagonist provide a basis for comparison. A foil’s differences from the protagonist highlight those traits in the main character. King Henry V is a young man who is serious, religious, honorable, and driven. Which characters serve as foils for him?

Close Reading #3 – “Once More into the Breach” (III.1) 1.Listen to my introduction of the speech. a)Then, write a summary of the situation, audience, and purpose of King Henry’s speech in the box titled “Rhetorical Situation.” (1 minute) 2.Listen as I read lines 1 – 6. Highlight the opposite conditions that King Henry mentions and underline what he says his men should do in each of those two conditions. 3.Stand up and put a bit of space between yourself and your neighbors. As I read lines 7 – 17, follow the actions of your class captain. a)Find the box titled “Action of the Tiger.” Based on your kinesthetic experience, describe how the English soldiers probably felt listening to that section of the king’s speech. (1 minute)

Close Reading #3 – “Once More into the Breach” (III.1) 4.Listen as I read lines The king will give instructions to two different groups of men. a)With your table mates, answer the comprehension questions about the two groups and the king’s instructions for them. (7 minutes) 5.As I read lines 34 – 37, study the picture to the right. a)Now, in the box titled “Closing Image,” explain how King Henry uses imagery to achieve his purpose. (1 minute)

Close Reading #4 – “These Three Swaggerers” (III.2) 1.Look at the passage. In the box titled “The Boy’s Speech,” explain whether the Boy is using prose or verse, how you know, and why he would use that type of language. (2 minutes) 2.Listen as I read lines 29 – 43. Make any notes you’d like. a)Now, jot down notes on what he says about each of the three “swaggerers” in the boxes provided. (1 minute) 3.Review the three comprehension questions. Then, listen as I read the rest of the speech. a)Now, work with your table mates to answer the questions. (5 minutes)

Close Reading #5 – Ultimatum at Harfleur (III.4) 1.Listen as I read lines 1 – 9. Circle singular pronouns (I, me, my) in one color and plural pronouns (we, us, our) in another color. a)Now, turn and discuss the following with your neighbors (2 minutes): i.What has King Henry come to learn? ii.What promise does he make to the leaders of Harfleur? iii.What does he say to them as a king (plural pronouns) and what does he say as a man (single pronouns)? 2.As I read lines 10 – 14, underline any violent imagery or references to violence. a)Now, answer comprehension question #1. (1 minute)

Close Reading #5 – Ultimatum at Harfleur (III.4) 3.Listen as I read lines 15 – 27. Put a box around the question he asks on line 15 and his repetition of it on line 19. You should also continue underlining the violent imagery or references to violence. a)Now, on your own, answer questions 2 and 3. (2 minutes) 4.As I read lines 27 – 41, put brackets around the two lines that begin with “Whiles yet,” and then highlight each reference to the townspeople of Harfleur (most begin with “your”). a)Now, discuss with your tablemates and answer comprehension question #4. (1 minute) 5.Finally, read lines 42 – 59 with your tablemates and answer questions 5 – 7.

Characters – The Four Captains These four army captains first appear in Act III Scene 2. Gower (English) Jamy (Scots) Llewellyn (Welsh) Macmorris (Irish) Each captain embodies characteristics attributed to his home country and exaggerated for effect (including accents). As you read, consider the commentary on national unity that these four captains provide. Macmorris Llewellyn Jamy Gower