Emblem: The Holy Path
The emblem and accompanying sonnet titled "The Holy Path" is inspired by two works covered in class this quarter, the first being the "Study and Watchfulness" emblem by George Wither. I admire the way Wither is able to combine an illustration, poem and motto into one cohesive thought. The next inspiration is of course Shakespeare's Henry V, a powerful story of invasive war with several possible interpretations.
At first I contemplated presenting this emblem as a new coin being offered as a collector's item, but I feel that the subject is too serious to be trivialized, so in the end I decided on the overall shape of the crucifix. This crucifix contains the three elements of my project; the motto, sonnet, and emblem much as The Holy Crucifix contains the three elements of God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The motto of this emblem "Fortes Fortuna Juvat" is Latin for "Fortune Favors the Bold."
This motto is pertinent to Henry V for several reasons. Henry V was very bold fighting the French at such terrible odds, and his bold personality allowed him to motivate and inspire his troops. Fortune can be thought of in two ways, one being the "good fortune" of winning in battle, and the second being the literal fortune the English church sought for income. This motto also belongs to the Third Marine Infantry Regiment, a unit that I once served in during a similar situation. Third Marines currently has two battalions deployed to conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the similarities between these events cannot be overlooked.
I utilized the Shakespeare-style sonnet and found it difficult to form meaningful stanzas while being constrained to ten syllables per line! In the language of the sonnet, I imitated Shakespeare's style of using the ambiguity of words to allow multiple meanings. Notice the dual meanings of such words as " will, forged, rich, flawed, sum, and fortune." It is no coincidence that they all refer to money and wealth.
The content of this sonnet tells the story of Henry V from the House of Commons to the end of Agincourt. I tried to put emphasis on the fact that though his reason is flawed, Henry is still an excellent leader. The actual battle of Agincourt in 1415 is fought by an outnumbered and weary English force. Henry uses the defensive strengths of his force as well as the range of his longbows to lure the French into a suicide charge across muddy terrain. By the time the heavily-armored French make it to the English lines, they are exhausted and disorganized, and are slaughtered. It is not only Henry and the church profiting from the slaughter-as soon as victory is apparent the English soldiers begin stripping armor and weapons from the French, and collecting prisoners for ransom.
The emblem illustrates the subject of the sonnet, showing the House of Commons in ruin, as well as the French city of Harfleur and the field of Agincourt. Henry V stands in the water of the English channel, floating upon the surface almost as if he is the messiah. The blood can still be seen on the blade of his sword as he reaches up to heaven for guidance and praise of his deeds. The true "god" is no more than a greedy Cardinal in the sky, grinning out of the smoke from all the destruction, lusting for more fortune, with money signs sparkling in his deceitful eyes. Is Henry V a pawn of the Church, or a willing invader obsessed with Fortune and Glory? In my opinion he is mostly the latter, and I have attempted to insert this view into all aspects of this work.
Eric McClendon English 204 |