Henry V is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved history plays. Chronicling the English king’s military campaign in France — including the Battle of Agincourt (1415) — it features the famous St. Crispin’s Day speech, in which Henry rouses his troops to victory. We also see the romantic proposal between Henry and Princess Katherine of France.
Yet for all of the richness of Shakespeare’s portrait of King Henry, there is still more to learn about him beyond the play. Thanks to a recent podcast produced by English Heritage, which cares for over 400 historic sites in England, we can explore the significance of Henry’s life in the magnificent Kenilworth Castle. Built in the 1120s, Kenilworth would centuries later be Henry’s home in the period leading up to the Battle of Agincourt. (See more information here.)
At Kenilworth, Henry considered his future as a king, with particular attention to how he might lead England to triumph against France. In this fascinating podcast, scholars explain how Henry also built an idyllic retreat for himself by the Castle lake. This “pleasance in the marsh,” a miniature palace with an enclosed garden, ensured that he had a space for reflection and contemplation of what was to come.
Though Kenilworth itself is in ruins today, the story of Henry’s time there will give your students a fuller sense of the majestic landscape in which Shakespeare’s legend was born. As head historic properties curator, Dr Jeremy Ashbee, explains, “The Henry V of Shakespeare [. . .] isn’t even [. . .] half of the story” of this compelling figure.
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