![]() pointing to the king's use of pretexts and deceptions, mayer asserts that shakespeare depicted this war as a political act, not a “holy” undertaking. jean-christophe mayer (see further reading) also addresses the question of the legitimacy of henry's rule and his war against france. spencer remarks that although henry violates moral and legal laws, he is the beneficiary of religious authority that, in effect, absolves him of guilt. spencer (1996) evaluates the play's perspective on the legitimacy of henry's invasion of france as well as the legitimacy of his reign. in her discussion of the legal requirements for a just war, janet m. ![]() scholars also note that shakespeare's plays reflect contemporary public debate over whether to employ foreign wars to expand territory, an issue that was hotly contested during the elizabethan and jacobean eras.Ĭritics consider henry v to be shakespeare's most important play on the topic of war. commentators point out that during the course of these conflicts, the cult of militarism changed dramatically and traditional notions of chivalric warfare declined, partly as a result of early modern developments in armaments. critical evaluation of shakespeare's portrayal of war principally focuses on the history plays, which chronicle both the hundred years' war (1337-1453), when there were periodic military conflicts between england and france, and the wars of the roses, the term used to describe the civil strife between the houses of york and lancaster between 14. theodor meron (1998), taking up the issue of “just war,” contends that shakespeare's plays show that a nation's rationale for war is often spurious, having more to do with “exaggerated notions of honour” or saving face than with a sound and legitimate motive. this is illustrated by henry iv's advice to hal “to busy giddy minds / with foreign quarrels” ( 2 henry iv). several critics call attention to shakespeare's depiction of war against a foreign enemy as a political strategy used to downplay internal problems and unite a nation around a leader whose legitimacy is in question. commentators on the subject address a wide range of issues, including shakespeare's concern with questions of legal, ethical, and religious justifications of war, his representation of ties between church and state in promoting and waging war, and his depiction of the costs of war both in terms of monetary expense as well as the effects on common soldiers and civilian populations. The theme of war is a prevalent topic in shakespeare's plays.
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