Amela Zanacic
Dr. Marx
English 204
12 April 2006
The Privileged ÒBand of BrothersÓ
ÒO
that we now had here / But one ten thousand of those men in England / That do
no work todayÓ wishes Earl of Westmoreland in ShakespeareÕs Henry V[1]
during the preparations for the battle of Agincourt in Act IV, Scene 3. While
surrounded by King Henry, other nobles, and soldiers, Westmoreland responds to
discovering that French soldiers outnumber the English five to one.
Consequently, King Henry addresses Westmoreland and the others using logos[2],
pathos, and indirect ethos in order to alleviate their fears and boost their
morale.
At
the beginning of his speech, Henry uses logos to convince his followers that a
larger English force is unnecessary and disadvantageous. Henry declares that Òif [they] are
marked to die, [they] are enow / To do [their] country loss: and if to live, /
The fewer men, the greater share of honourÓ (20-22). Here, Henry first uses
religious rationalism to convince the audience that the size of the English
force is irrelevant since God controls the outcome of the battle. Even though
this argument might not seem logical today, Renaissance thinking viewed the
power of God to control human lives as an accepted truth. Furthermore, Henry reasons
that a smaller British army will results in less deaths for Britain if they
should die and in a larger share of honor if they should live. Through this
reasoning, Henry portrays the current state of the English army as a win-win
situation.
After
appealing to reason, Henry transitions to focusing on his followersÕ values and
emotions. Henry uses pathos relating to honor, pride, and comradery to convince
the men of their privilege to participate in the upcoming battle. He tells the
soldiers that the economic gains of war do not interest him, Òbut if it be a
sin to covet honour, / [he is] the most offending soul aliveÓ (28-29). Henry
states that any man surviving this battle will remember the others, Ò[their]
names, / Familiar in his mouth as household words, / Harry the King, Bedford
and Exeter, / Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and GloucesterÓ (51-54), Òfrom this
day to the ending of the worldÓ (58). These lines, especially through HenryÕs listing of the noblesÕ
names like he imagines the mentioned soldier would, make the nobles and the
other soldiers taste the sweetness of ultimate glory. Additionally, Henry rouses
his followersÕ sense of pride by stating that Ò[they] would not die in a manÕs
company / That fears his fellowship to die with [them]Ó (38-39). These lines are meant to convince the
soldiers that they are worthy of fighting, whereas the men who stayed in England
are not. Thus, Henry transforms the battle from an object of fear to one of
privilege. Henry finishes his appeal to the companyÕs emotions by evoking a
sense of camaraderie through their privileged place in the battle field. He
states that they will be remembered Òwe few, we happy few, we band of brothers:
/ For he today that sheds his blood with me / Shall be my brotherÓ (60-62).
Furthermore,
Henry uses indirect ethos together with logos and pathos to rouse his soldiers.
In his speech, Henry does not try to convince his followers of his authority
and good reputation, but assumes that he posses it and therefore uses his
position to lend credibility to and reinforce his arguments. When he speaks of
GodÕs will, for example, his position lends the argument more credibility since
Kings were connected to God through the tradition of the divine right.
Additionally, when Henry makes the emotional argument for camaraderie, his
followers are not only moved by the idea of comradery itself but also by the
opportunity to be comrades of the king. The ruler of their country is offering them
his fellowship; therefore, making the soldiers feel as if they are being elevated
to become his equals. Combining his authority with an appeal to logic and to
emotion, Henry instills confidence and pride in his soldiers, alleviating their
fears of battle and making them believe that they are a privileged Òband of
brothersÓ (60).
[1] All quotations from Henry V are taken from The New Penguin Shakespeare: Henry V, ed. A.R. Humphreys (London: Penguin, 1996) 132-134, and will be quoted by line number.
[2] All background information on logos, pathos, and ethos is taken from ChangingMinds.org. 10 Apr. 2006 <http://
changingminds.org/disciplines/argument/making_argument/three_persuade.htm>.