Shakespeare actually gives some good clues to tell you what Henry's up to. Any time Henry speaks in perfect Iambic Pentameter, like an actor, it's because he's being a politician and delivering a careful speech. Even when he's threatening the people of the town he's delivering that speech with poetic technique (consonance), showing that Henry's using deliberate rhetorical skill. He may not necessarily be lying, but he's definitely being very deliberate in his use of language. Whenever Henry breaks the perfect poetic meter, whether that's using prose or just an extra iamb in a line, that's because his emotions are getting the better of himself and the mask is slipping. So when he gets baited and insulted by the French at the beginning that's a genuine moment from Henry because there's 11 syllables in one line.
That's very much true. I like reading Ben Crystals books on Shakespeare and he is someone who has spend most of his life studying Shakespeare in the original pronunciation. I think he'd be the first to admit that he's always discovering something new about the plays that he'd never realized before. Although about 50% of the bits you'd miss are just clever puns about genitals and sex. The man was a genius but it's worth remembering that it's not all high art with him. If people wanted raunchy comedy with lots of sex and violence, that's what he'd write. Shakespeare was an entertainer at heart and gave the crowd what they enjoyed.
@@michaelkenner3289 I don't remember where I read it, but somewhere, someone remarked in regards to whether we should really count so many of the double meanings in lines of Shakespeare as intentional, "Shakespeare wasn't happy unless he could cram fourteen different meanings into a single line and make at least three of them about sex and make each and every one of them fit the play and be on purpose." I think thats probably pretty accurate.
@@scaper8 Crystal, in a few of his lectures, talks about the Scene VII from As You Like Itwhen Jacque: "'Tis but an hour ago since it was nine, And after one hour more 'twill be eleven; And so, from hour to hour, we ripe and ripe, And then, from hour to hour, we rot and rot; And thereby hangs a tale.'" Where "hour" in OP is pronounced "oar" - beautiful double entendre, quite raunchy
That piece about ‘vile’ and ‘gentle’ is exactly why I fell in love with your channel. So many golden nuggets of information that illuminate our condition and its origins.
"I know thee not, old man: fall to thy prayers; How ill white hairs become a fool, and jester!" In case anyone forgot how Prince Hal treated his friends.
As someone who works in film I can say for years now you have inspired a positive jealousy. Not only are your videos very enjoyable but the way you make your point is consistently profound. I don't think I can do what you do to your level but I am constantly inspired and energised to try after watching one of your videos. Keep up the amazing work.
Looks like this years Summer of Shakespeare is starting off great! *ignores the calendar that is sitting besides him* In seriousness, this was a great video. The blender model was a good one, especially for a beginner (I’m teaching myself as well, so I’m legit impressed). And the ending certainly made me feel things, considering the current climate
I took a Shakespeare class in my sophomore year of high school, and I am honestly proud of myself that I was still able to recite the entire prologue of Henry V along with you.
I'd never considered that Henry was a liar. Thank you for that bit of insight. In a way, it was all propaganda. Of course Olivier chooses to eliminate the more unsavory parts of the story. As he is, in a way, framing WWII as a story of glorious victory for the British, he chooses to embellish the original play by making it more noble (by our standards) than the text as it was. It was also, in a way, propaganda. As was the original. Shakespeare was a war poet. And some draw paralells between the speech of Agincourt and Elizabeth's speech at Tilbury. Long live the King, long live the Crown, long live the Queen. Did Shakespeare realize that Henry was a liar? Perhaps not. Perhaps it was just the world returning to order once chaos has been defeated, once things have been set right by the glorious victory of the king. But still, Henry was a liar. Intentionally or not, Shakespeare shows us the danger of propaganda, of politicians using rhetoric to win our hearts. That speech has won our hearts. It still has it. } Beware what speeches win your heart.
Nick Sambides Jr. Personally I think one important part of Shakespeare's Henry V is the 'I know you' monologue from before he was a King. In that he admits, that he is deliberately pretending to be silly & scandalous, slumming it with Falstaff and his band, so that when he may look better when he steps away for them. So that people will be impressed at how the Fool Prince became a Wise King, because it will surprise them. In that monologue, Henry shows that from very early on; he has mastered presenting whatever visage to those around him that best suits his needs at the time. Underneath those visages he is an intelligent, ambitious and quite ruthless man; I mean even if the threats to the Governor were a bluff, after Agincourt he still ordered his men to kill the prisoners to make a point to the French. His reign perhaps did bring some good to the nation, but his actions were never selfless.
@@dublinjake I imagine given the monologue, that he's fully aware that he's just using Falstaff (maybe he does like the old man, but he's gonna cast him aside regardless) and given that, when he walks among the men in secret before the battle; his attitude to their fears is dismissive and that he effectively preemptively absolves himself of responsibility for their coming deaths, would suggest that he does. Perhaps he does believe that the war will be to the benefit of the people as a whole, but I suspect he knew that his speech was making promises, he had no intention of keeping.
@@JamesTobiasStewart true but you can also think of the glory. The glory surviving to your peers you tell your story to earning respect like are vets do today. Or like me to be the son of not just a vet but vet who served in war. For that Henry isn't a liar. Though not given the individual respect coming off Henry's lips of a semi eulogy they be remembered by friends family and survivors of the battle. The band of brothers. For the generals of the war world WAR II that got this movie made for Patton, Montgomery, DeGaul. For the soldiers to even be in the presence of these man and being acknowledge was enough. They all shared the same fate for the most point. This also goes together because this was also a volunteer Army of men seeking glory in real life. The actual real men who volunteer to serve with Henry and those in World War II
@@JamesTobiasStewart but you also have to understand one it was way more French than they could handle so even the numbers. So many times in war prisoners were killed in the heat of battle still raging because you couldn't spare the man power to guard them and win the battle. The paratroopers landing in Normandy if you watched band of brothers. They had to get to the beaches to help the invading armies break out. Something had to give, so prisoners had to die. I remember watching a Dday 50 year special in 94 with my dad snd mom. A vet was telling how a paratrooper got stuck in a tree from his jump with his unit. He was shoot to hell by the Nazis. I turned to my father and said that's just not fair. He looked at me and said "yeah, but that's war Henry nothing is fair.
Somewhat off topic, but I always love the humorous irony that the St. Crispan's Day Speech is one of the most quoted passages of Shakespeare after probably only the To Be or Not To Be Soliloquy, it is full of household words. And the phrase "household words" was created in it.
... is anyone else baffled about how awesome Kyle's hair is? It shouldn't work! But it does! He looks great! You look great, Kyle! Go forth and dole out some content for us when it's fulfilling for you!
I was thinking about how good that cavalry charge would be if done by the Pythons, with coconuts - would they have to pair up so they can have a weapon in one hand and half a coconut in the other? The more I think about it, the more joy it brings! 😂
Wonderful! The lessons you teach with your comparison of Laurence Olivier's Henry and the actual play is what brings me to your channel again and again.
Have you seen the Hollow Crown version of Henry V with Tom Hiddleston? Even more than Branagh's, that Henry is framed as THE WORST. The Crispin Day speech is literally delivered crouched in the mud, during the battle instead of before. It's a final desperate attempt from a king who made a foolish decision to enter a war to inspire troops who have lost faith in him. It's a very different tone and worth a comparison on the spectrum, really fascinating. Also, love the hair; you really have a modern day bard thing going on
I've seen that version! I agree with you 100%. Note that Branagh directed that one, too, so maybe he thought: "Know what, I was too soft on Henry the first time around! He needs to get off much worse this time !" Of course, Hiddleston's ability to make the worst bastard charming, the biggest monster sympathetic and the most pityful fuck-up likeable (* cough* Loki fangirls *cough*) adds further layers of complexity...
I always prefer the Buffy version of the speech: Spike: "Well that wasn't exactly the St. Crispin's Day speech was it?" Giles: "We few, we happy few..." Spike: "We Band of Buggered."
One of the best videos you've made that I've seen recently, Kyle! You help a poor "vile" man like myself at least somewhat understand the greatness of The Bard. Please keep up the great work!
I saw Henry V AT the Globe Theatre and it was FANTASTIC so for me, the apology wasn't necessary. I was ready to march with Henry V I was so inspired by the play.
Great and insightful video! I’m awaiting the day when you do a video with your usual “quoted by everyone” montage and it ends with Gary Oldman’s unhinged screaming “EVERYONE!!!” in “The Professional”.
That feeling when your channel updates so unfrequently that Shakespeare month turns into Shakespeare year, every year. We love you Kyle, and we love your sincere thoughts on films and stories far more than we love mere reviews of their content, please give us more!
I've been with you a long time and seen your channel grow and change, for the better! but it warms my heart that at your most analytical, academic, philosophical, and/or poetical, you will not abandon the beautiful running gag of "...everyone, everyone, *EVERYONE*"
And, my Father, Lt. Colonel Charles E. Carlsen, 101st Airborne, yet resides in history books for his parachuting into France with thousands of other heroes on beaches, in trenches and others killed as they endeavored to meet evil. My Father embodies this play and all the terror, loss, wrong and glory of such things.
One of the things that keeps Shakespeare so relevant is how, even when he falls into the tropes and prejudices of his time, he tends to create characters that feel real and complex and so can be interpreted in various ways as times shift. The contrast between the Olivier and Branaugh versions in how they show the "glories" of war is one good example. The "gritty" bits that fit more with our jaded modern view were already in there. The way we tend to view Shylock as more of a sympathetic and even tragic character now is another - the details of what he experiences and feels are written into the original text, and so he doesn't come off as just an anti-semitic caricature, but instead can be understood as a person who has let some pretty justified anger consume him.
I think the opening/close of Olivier's version is super cute, like a Mr Rodgers' Neighborhood model. My favorite moment is when it starts to rain and all the groundlings hit the exits. I also interpreted the medium changes as partly about closing the gap between the centuries for the viewer (and clever budget choices); I hadn't thought about the wooden O speech.
You uploaded this just as I was watching Titus and thinking about your video on it! I wasn't expecting this, but I learned something interesting. I never considered Henry as a liar, but if you put this by Richard III, which is infamous as Tudor propaganda, it's ALL Tudor propaganda, the whole set of histories.
I just discovered your channel last week and I have to say that I am now a fan of your channel. I first discovered Shakespeare in 1995, I was fifteen and it was my freshman year of High School. my English teacher had us read Shakespeare's The tragedy of Julius Caesar. From that day on I was a certified "Bardolator". She even lent me her VHS copy of the 1953 version with Marlon Brando, James Mason and Sir John Gielgud to name a few. I mention this because I would love to see you do a video on that performance. I enjoy your work, keep up the great content.
This speech is absolutely worshiped in the military, along with the one from Coriolanus. Means something slightly different there. Where you warn of being persuaded by people acting against your own best interest, most of the time, the dudes (and now women, I suppose) addressing you usually acknowledge the fact that you're in a far likelier chance of getting killed for practically no gain.
I've written extensively about different versions of Henry V and while I personally think Tom Hiddleston's Henry V is the best in humanizing Henry, Olivier's is intensely important and interesting when thinking of it as propaganda.
I gather you mean major movie versions, which if you count Hiddles's version as a movie, there are three. I didn't think his interpretation was particularly good, or true to either Shakespeare's character or the real Henry V. He didn't seem like a leader. And I thought he was "humanized" in Henry IV, 1 & 2? YMMV, of course
Yay! You're doing Shakespeare things again! I like that you're taking the show in a new direction but sometimes it's nice to go back and revisit older formats. It's like seeing an old friend.
I got so excited when I saw this in my feed! I love your videos and I watched this movie all the time when I was little. This video makes me want to go back and re-watch with a more critical eye.
Just when I was hoping this year's Summer of Shakespeare, if it even happened, would have a Laurence Olivier overview like the one Kyle did for Kenneth Branagh... my prayer is answered!
The interesting thing about Olivier's Henry V is that while it leaves most of the unsavory things out, it left in the fact that the churchmen swayed Henry to war on France just so they would not have to give up their lands to him. If Olivier wanted the French to closely resemble the Axis Powers of WWII, he would've left the part where the French cavalry supposedly killed the luggage boys. [EDIT: My mistake. The French do kill the luggage boys in the film. I forgot it until I saw the film recently.] He left out Bardolph getting hanged, although Bardolph clearly died in the war. Olivier's version is indeed a lighter version of the play, but it is interesting that he kept the morally ambiguous motive for the war intact. The film also seems to pay homage to Robin Hood, like when the English longbowmen lure the French cavalry to the forest, and then jump on them from tree tops bearing knives. It takes liberties with the actual Battle of Agincourt, but it works very well visually and dramatically. It is interesting that the play itself, although it's a glorious celebration of Henry V's victory, contains a great deal of moral ambiguity and tragic subplots. Some critics think Henry V was meant as a veiled critique of the king by Shakespeare, and there are scenes which corroborate their claim. Henry shouting those horrifying things at the gate, the soldiers' ambivalent feelings for Henry, Henry hanging Bardolph, and Henry's motivations for warring on France. And yet, there are times when Shakespeare would comment on how glorious Henry V's actions were. There are also times when Shakespeare would apply the nobility of Henry V to less than honorable men, like the Earl of Essex. Shakespeare wrote how the Earl of Essex's campaign in Ireland would be just as glorious as Agincourt. Shakespeare was supposedly a fan of Essex back in the day. Considering that Essex fumbled the Irish campaign, and rebelled against Elizabeth due to hurt feelings and excessive pride, he was no Henry V. It's hard to say what Shakespeare's actual intentions were, because there's so much in his plays, and they could be interpreted in so many ways. It makes me wonder how Olivier would've handled the Henry IV plays, if given the chance. I'm certainly glad Orson Wells adapted them for the Chimes at Midnight. I recommend checking out Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare. It discusses a lot of historical and literary context to Shakespeare's plays, including Henry V. Asimov makes a lot of interesting interpretations of Henry V. Asimov speculated that the luggage boys were actually killed by English soldiers or thieves rather than the French cavalry. He also thinks that the parts about Fluellen and Gower referring to Alexander the Great as "the pig" is a meant as a criticism of Henry. His interpretation of Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech in his book is also worth checking out By the way, the reference to the Agincourt mission from the Age of Empires II expansion was awesome,
Somehow it almost always happens that whenever my University does a 48-hour Film Festival, Kyle puts out a video in the same week. I like to take it as an omen of good fortune, since Kyle is one of the reasons I decided to go to film school in the first place.
I wonder if an actor could take that "none else of name" and make it a moment of discovery for Henry, make him aware of the lie he has told his men. Because he's not just reading off the list after winning, he's doing so after the victory was handed to him while he was in a rage upon seeing the slaughter of boys at the baggage camp. Maybe a director could block the scene to have soldiers carrying the bodies of these nameless men across the stage in full view of Henry. The night before, Henry was debating and contemplating the role of the common man to the king in the face of war, and he held to the duty of the people to their king, to him; so how would it read to have that same king witness the cost of that duty, and how might that weigh on his soul?
What a lovely mop top you're getting there, Kyle. Seriously though, you always bring great insight on your channel. I never knew vile would lead to villain, which in turn is rooted from village.
So "Rocky I" is the St Crispen's Day Speech made manifest, is what you're telling me. His victory was in the attempt - and the telling - not in winning itself (since, you know, he lost that one!).
I think you do a dis-service to Branagh's Harry here. In his early life he spent his time with the commoners, learning how they lived. Before the Battle he goes about the camp in disguise to check on the condition and moral of his men. In the opening scene he cautions his advisors to be careful in advocating for war because: 'never did two such nations contend without much fall of blood'. Immediately after reading the names of the dead Henry helps carry the bodies of the slain children away for burial. This is a man who cares about his people. He gives the speech that he knows will encourage them for a battle that he has to believe he will probably lose and then, despite all odds, it becomes a great victory. A man hands him a scrap of paper with the names of the dead on it and its not big enough to record all of them. He reads off the Named dead and they include Davie Gamm who is not a nobleman or a knight. He holds the title Esquire which means he own the freehold to his land and doesn't pay rent. He is the social equivalent of Falstaff. Henry doesn't read the other names because they aren't on the paper, it's not big enough to record 25 more names. In reality it's Mr Shakespeare realizing that a long boring list of names would ruin the emotional climax of his play.
Maybe to Branagh's Hal, but not to the plays' I'd say. Tom Hiddleston's Hal/Henry is more obviously ego focused, manipulative, and cruel. Branagh did a good job of making his Hal more likable and heroic, even with the lines kept. The addition of carrying the child (that's Christian Bale btw!) is a part of that heroism portrayal for sure
@@TsukiGeek Now that you mention it, the Hollow Crown does not feel like Shakespeare. When Shakespeare wrote Henry V, he wrote a specific type of Hal, a Hal similar to Branagh's. This was a Hal who was inspiring and cared for the commoners, but at the same time recognized his importance as king and the necessity for ruthlessness in battle (even though the ruthlessness is not shown). The way the Hollow Crown did Henry V makes me think that they were retelling Henry V as if it was told by Dostoevsky, not Shakespeare. Similarly, they retold Richard III in a Dostoevsky fashion, not in a Shakespearean fashion.
@@TsukiGeek Huh, I always felt Hiddleston's more intimate version of Saint Crispin's speech made it seem more sincere, as it went out to only his inner circle. I always felt Branagh's theatrical version made him feel like another mask the king wears, another character he plays, like thanks to the bombast of his version the audience can see it's all an act.
Excellent content, as usual. I saw an exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library about Shakespeare and Churchill, and the exhibit documented Churchill's interest in this play and letters he quoted it in, and there was a clip of this speech from the Olivier adaptation. Funny what that exhibit didn't point out about that particular speech--both in what dialog it lacks and why it would have been so poignant to a British audience of that time, and why it maybe shouldn't have been...
I've missed you, Kyle. The Blender model looked really good, really! A short, but rousing video. Always enjoyable to see you. Would you ever consider getting friends together and reciting some of the bard's plays? I always love hearing you recite Shakespeare, you almost sing the words.
The character of Harry in the two parts of "Henry IV", and "Henry V" is such a prick. He rejected and arrested his best friend, Falstaff after he became a king, he let Bardolph die and he invaded to France, causing the death of hundred people, without any reason but pure imperialism and ambition. I really dislike him. Great video, by the way!!!
A truly great video. I love both versions of Henry V, although Olivier's version will always be the more magical of the two. BTW, probably the most significant of Olivier's changes was leaving off the chorus's epilogue, where we are informed that Henry was followed by "Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crowned king/Of France and England, did this king succeed,/Whose state so many had the managing/That they lost France and made his England bleed." In other words, the whole damn war and the bloody victory in the mud of Agincourt were for nothing. Derek Jacobi duly performs these chilling lines at the end of Branagh's version, but I can't really blame Olivier for leaving them out in 1944.
In fact, just as the 300 were made immortal by being listed on a sign raised by the Spartan Assembly or the Ephors, all the veterans were raised to Gentleman status (two levels below knight, nothing to do with their manners or their manors). They were not forgotten, we (i.e., then-contemporary Englishmen) forgot their names.
When Henry was a prince he and his father fought a battle with "Harry Hotspurs" Percy. Percy was killed in the fighting but Henry was struck in the face with bodkin arrow. The arrowhead was buried six inches in his head and he was saved by a rather skilled surgeon. It would be nice to see a version of Henry that showed him with the facial scars. Here is a link with a short article about Prince Hal's head wound. www.medievalists.net/2013/05/prince-hals-head-wound-cause-and-effect/ So, if you're irked about the lying in play just remember the time he got seriously clobbered.
Kyle's hair looks like the hair in with Shakespeare is mostly portraied in paintings. Did he ever made a cosplay of the bard? If he made a video in this cosplay, it wold be so awesome!
4:59 Actually the Globe Theatre was rebuilt only a year after it burned down. The second Globe was closed down during the English Civil war and was eventually torn down c.1644. The modern Globe Theatre is actually the third of that name.
It is the war speech. Hollywood in a nutshell is the Keanu Reeves version of that famous Shakespearean speech featured in the football movie, The Replacements. Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever.
"This is okay, but it wound up looking like something of the original Myst". Had my childhood self heard you say that, he would've scoffed and asked "What's so wrong about THAT?" It's been a childhood dream, to learn how to do 3D modeling, ever since I played Dragon Lore. :)
12:06 Olivier has another small change here that is easy to miss. The original line is "...and of all other men but five-and-twenty." Olivier changes the death toll to be "...five-and-twenty *score* ," which means the English lost about 500 men in Olivier's version.
i donno, this entire thing made me think about the people i study, who i want to study, which are medieval english peasants or otherwise the lower class -- the villains, yes. it made me think about how they are the none of name and reminded me sort of why i focus on them, because they are forgotten, and i feel a giant responsibility to remember them. so here's to you, margery herbardes, and hugo turnor and his daughter joanna, and agnes, john murther, john de staunford, adam de osgodby,
"Beware of pretty speeches" is a pretty good message.
jacobvardy
You mean "a few good men".
Shakespeare actually gives some good clues to tell you what Henry's up to. Any time Henry speaks in perfect Iambic Pentameter, like an actor, it's because he's being a politician and delivering a careful speech. Even when he's threatening the people of the town he's delivering that speech with poetic technique (consonance), showing that Henry's using deliberate rhetorical skill. He may not necessarily be lying, but he's definitely being very deliberate in his use of language.
Whenever Henry breaks the perfect poetic meter, whether that's using prose or just an extra iamb in a line, that's because his emotions are getting the better of himself and the mask is slipping. So when he gets baited and insulted by the French at the beginning that's a genuine moment from Henry because there's 11 syllables in one line.
That's very much true. I like reading Ben Crystals books on Shakespeare and he is someone who has spend most of his life studying Shakespeare in the original pronunciation. I think he'd be the first to admit that he's always discovering something new about the plays that he'd never realized before.
Although about 50% of the bits you'd miss are just clever puns about genitals and sex. The man was a genius but it's worth remembering that it's not all high art with him. If people wanted raunchy comedy with lots of sex and violence, that's what he'd write. Shakespeare was an entertainer at heart and gave the crowd what they enjoyed.
@@michaelkenner3289 I don't remember where I read it, but somewhere, someone remarked in regards to whether we should really count so many of the double meanings in lines of Shakespeare as intentional, "Shakespeare wasn't happy unless he could cram fourteen different meanings into a single line and make at least three of them about sex and make each and every one of them fit the play and be on purpose."
I think thats probably pretty accurate.
@@michaelkenner3289 Ben Crytal (and his father) provided mt the initial spark that brought my interest back to Shakespeare.
@@scaper8 Crystal, in a few of his lectures, talks about the Scene VII from As You Like Itwhen Jacque: "'Tis but an hour ago since it was nine,
And after one hour more 'twill be eleven;
And so, from hour to hour, we ripe and ripe,
And then, from hour to hour, we rot and rot;
And thereby hangs a tale.'"
Where "hour" in OP is pronounced "oar" - beautiful double entendre, quite raunchy
@@scaper8 [any of a dozen modern filmmakers]: We're so Meta!
Shakespeare: Hold my ale...
That piece about ‘vile’ and ‘gentle’ is exactly why I fell in love with your channel. So many golden nuggets of information that illuminate our condition and its origins.
"I know thee not, old man: fall to thy prayers;
How ill white hairs become a fool, and jester!"
In case anyone forgot how Prince Hal treated his friends.
Poor John Falstaff =(
Watchmojo top 10 anime betrayals
What, no Buffy?
"We few, we happy few..."
"We band of buggered..."
GriffinPilgrim "not exactly the Saint Crispin's Day speech..."
That's my favourite version!
I'm more annoyed at the lack of Tombstone.
GriffinPilgram. I know! I was waiting for the Spike quote too.
He's used it before in a different video.
As someone who works in film I can say for years now you have inspired a positive jealousy. Not only are your videos very enjoyable but the way you make your point is consistently profound. I don't think I can do what you do to your level but I am constantly inspired and energised to try after watching one of your videos.
Keep up the amazing work.
Looks like this years Summer of Shakespeare is starting off great! *ignores the calendar that is sitting besides him*
In seriousness, this was a great video. The blender model was a good one, especially for a beginner (I’m teaching myself as well, so I’m legit impressed). And the ending certainly made me feel things, considering the current climate
It never clicked in me till now that the “Independence Day speech” was a take off of Henry the fifth
"William Shakespeare's Henry V begins with an apology"
and ends with an advertisement
"This is okay but it wound up looking like something out of the original Myst but anyway."
That only adds to the charm!
Just as long as he doesn't start cackling and asking if we brought the pages.
I took a Shakespeare class in my sophomore year of high school, and I am honestly proud of myself that I was still able to recite the entire prologue of Henry V along with you.
Oh lord, he's turning into Orson Welles and Keanu Reeves' love child! Somebody please keep him away from Frozen peas and Kung Fu!!!
I think he looks more like an Orson Welles/Adam Driver fusion, but I LOVE when he gets Shakespearean either way.
Me too! Although I looked at the way he brushed his hair at the beginning and it reminded me of Reeves as John Wick.
Orson Welles? "Mahaaaaa, the French..."
Oh what luck, I've found a french fry in my beard!
He is ascending to his final form!
What madman taught that child a monologue from Henry V?
Henry V was a very young king.
An English teacher?
Could have been worse. Could have been Titus Andronicus.
I'd never considered that Henry was a liar. Thank you for that bit of insight. In a way, it was all propaganda. Of course Olivier chooses to eliminate the more unsavory parts of the story. As he is, in a way, framing WWII as a story of glorious victory for the British, he chooses to embellish the original play by making it more noble (by our standards) than the text as it was. It was also, in a way, propaganda. As was the original. Shakespeare was a war poet. And some draw paralells between the speech of Agincourt and Elizabeth's speech at Tilbury. Long live the King, long live the Crown, long live the Queen.
Did Shakespeare realize that Henry was a liar? Perhaps not. Perhaps it was just the world returning to order once chaos has been defeated, once things have been set right by the glorious victory of the king. But still, Henry was a liar. Intentionally or not, Shakespeare shows us the danger of propaganda, of politicians using rhetoric to win our hearts. That speech has won our hearts. It still has it. }
Beware what speeches win your heart.
Nick Sambides Jr. Personally I think one important part of Shakespeare's Henry V is the 'I know you' monologue from before he was a King. In that he admits, that he is deliberately pretending to be silly & scandalous, slumming it with Falstaff and his band, so that when he may look better when he steps away for them. So that people will be impressed at how the Fool Prince became a Wise King, because it will surprise them.
In that monologue, Henry shows that from very early on; he has mastered presenting whatever visage to those around him that best suits his needs at the time. Underneath those visages he is an intelligent, ambitious and quite ruthless man; I mean even if the threats to the Governor were a bluff, after Agincourt he still ordered his men to kill the prisoners to make a point to the French. His reign perhaps did bring some good to the nation, but his actions were never selfless.
I think the question is whether Henry knows he's a liar.
@@dublinjake I imagine given the monologue, that he's fully aware that he's just using Falstaff (maybe he does like the old man, but he's gonna cast him aside regardless) and given that, when he walks among the men in secret before the battle; his attitude to their fears is dismissive and that he effectively preemptively absolves himself of responsibility for their coming deaths, would suggest that he does.
Perhaps he does believe that the war will be to the benefit of the people as a whole, but I suspect he knew that his speech was making promises, he had no intention of keeping.
@@JamesTobiasStewart true but you can also think of the glory. The glory surviving to your peers you tell your story to earning respect like are vets do today. Or like me to be the son of not just a vet but vet who served in war. For that Henry isn't a liar.
Though not given the individual respect coming off Henry's lips of a semi eulogy they be remembered by friends family and survivors of the battle. The band of brothers.
For the generals of the war world WAR II that got this movie made for Patton, Montgomery, DeGaul. For the soldiers to even be in the presence of these man and being acknowledge was enough. They all shared the same fate for the most point. This also goes together because this was also a volunteer Army of men seeking glory in real life. The actual real men who volunteer to serve with Henry and those in World War II
@@JamesTobiasStewart but you also have to understand one it was way more French than they could handle so even the numbers. So many times in war prisoners were killed in the heat of battle still raging because you couldn't spare the man power to guard them and win the battle.
The paratroopers landing in Normandy if you watched band of brothers. They had to get to the beaches to help the invading armies break out. Something had to give, so prisoners had to die.
I remember watching a Dday 50 year special in 94 with my dad snd mom. A vet was telling how a paratrooper got stuck in a tree from his jump with his unit. He was shoot to hell by the Nazis. I turned to my father and said that's just not fair. He looked at me and said "yeah, but that's war Henry nothing is fair.
Hey, Myst looks good, ok?
Dont dunk on Myst
I AGREE!!! You should try URU Online!!!
I hit the dab on Myst
Myst has taken a major L
Somewhat off topic, but I always love the humorous irony that the St. Crispan's Day Speech is one of the most quoted passages of Shakespeare after probably only the To Be or Not To Be Soliloquy, it is full of household words.
And the phrase "household words" was created in it.
I need to be constantly reminded that I am not immune to propaganda. Thank you for making this video, which blew my head open :)
... is anyone else baffled about how awesome Kyle's hair is? It shouldn't work! But it does! He looks great! You look great, Kyle! Go forth and dole out some content for us when it's fulfilling for you!
your "wooden O" looks better then some shows on history channel.
I first thought that it was a History Channel clip
14:09 Which begs the question: Who lives, who dies, who tells the story?
Being from Quebec, it's sorta funny because I'm used to have Azincourt being associated with millitary disaster
One man's disaster is... another man's epic last stand, I guess.
Oh, Kyle. I missed your Shakespeare videos. So glad to see one now -- and it's Olivier! SO GLAD to finally hear you take on Olivier.
of course, if you don't have enough of a budget,
you get Monty python.
"It's only a model."
Lack of budget can lead to some of the most profound innovations (coconuts, the doctor who woooooEeeooo sounds)
I was thinking about how good that cavalry charge would be if done by the Pythons, with coconuts - would they have to pair up so they can have a weapon in one hand and half a coconut in the other? The more I think about it, the more joy it brings! 😂
Wonderful! The lessons you teach with your comparison of Laurence Olivier's Henry and the actual play is what brings me to your channel again and again.
Have you seen the Hollow Crown version of Henry V with Tom Hiddleston? Even more than Branagh's, that Henry is framed as THE WORST. The Crispin Day speech is literally delivered crouched in the mud, during the battle instead of before. It's a final desperate attempt from a king who made a foolish decision to enter a war to inspire troops who have lost faith in him. It's a very different tone and worth a comparison on the spectrum, really fascinating.
Also, love the hair; you really have a modern day bard thing going on
I've seen that version! I agree with you 100%. Note that Branagh directed that one, too, so maybe he thought: "Know what, I was too soft on Henry the first time around! He needs to get off much worse this time !" Of course, Hiddleston's ability to make the worst bastard charming, the biggest monster sympathetic and the most pityful fuck-up likeable (* cough* Loki fangirls *cough*) adds further layers of complexity...
I always prefer the Buffy version of the speech:
Spike: "Well that wasn't exactly the St. Crispin's Day speech was it?"
Giles: "We few, we happy few..."
Spike: "We Band of Buggered."
One of the best videos you've made that I've seen recently, Kyle! You help a poor "vile" man like myself at least somewhat understand the greatness of The Bard. Please keep up the great work!
I saw Henry V AT the Globe Theatre and it was FANTASTIC so for me, the apology wasn't necessary. I was ready to march with Henry V I was so inspired by the play.
I'm pretty sure Kyle was apologizing for the video. He's been in a very..... self-deprecating mood lately.
tvestal100 By the time you reach the end of the video, you might wish to reconsider that dedication to Henry’s charge.
Not gonna lie, I wrote that comment the moment I saw the title.
Great and insightful video!
I’m awaiting the day when you do a video with your usual “quoted by everyone” montage and it ends with Gary Oldman’s unhinged screaming “EVERYONE!!!” in “The Professional”.
He did the everyone bit. I love the everyone bit.
Great performance, fantastic insight. Thanks for the video.
That feeling when your channel updates so unfrequently that Shakespeare month turns into Shakespeare year, every year.
We love you Kyle, and we love your sincere thoughts on films and stories far more than we love mere reviews of their content, please give us more!
I'd love nothing more than a lengthy discussion about this adaptation in comparison to that of Kenneth Branagh.
I've been with you a long time and seen your channel grow and change, for the better! but it warms my heart that at your most analytical, academic, philosophical, and/or poetical, you will not abandon the beautiful running gag of "...everyone, everyone, *EVERYONE*"
Thank you so much for introducing me to the 3 year old reciting this speech. So so awesome.
Wonderful video Kyle. Thoughtful. Thank you.
And, my Father, Lt. Colonel Charles E. Carlsen, 101st Airborne, yet resides in history books for his parachuting into France with thousands of other heroes on beaches, in trenches and others killed as they endeavored to meet evil. My Father embodies this play and all the terror, loss, wrong and glory of such things.
One of the things that keeps Shakespeare so relevant is how, even when he falls into the tropes and prejudices of his time, he tends to create characters that feel real and complex and so can be interpreted in various ways as times shift. The contrast between the Olivier and Branaugh versions in how they show the "glories" of war is one good example. The "gritty" bits that fit more with our jaded modern view were already in there. The way we tend to view Shylock as more of a sympathetic and even tragic character now is another - the details of what he experiences and feels are written into the original text, and so he doesn't come off as just an anti-semitic caricature, but instead can be understood as a person who has let some pretty justified anger consume him.
I think the opening/close of Olivier's version is super cute, like a Mr Rodgers' Neighborhood model. My favorite moment is when it starts to rain and all the groundlings hit the exits.
I also interpreted the medium changes as partly about closing the gap between the centuries for the viewer (and clever budget choices); I hadn't thought about the wooden O speech.
You uploaded this just as I was watching Titus and thinking about your video on it! I wasn't expecting this, but I learned something interesting. I never considered Henry as a liar, but if you put this by Richard III, which is infamous as Tudor propaganda, it's ALL Tudor propaganda, the whole set of histories.
Am I the only one who watches these videos over and over again. They are great videos.
I just discovered your channel last week and I have to say that I am now a fan of your channel.
I first discovered Shakespeare in 1995, I was fifteen and it was my freshman year of High School. my English teacher had us read Shakespeare's The tragedy of Julius Caesar.
From that day on I was a certified "Bardolator".
She even lent me her VHS copy of the 1953 version with Marlon Brando, James Mason and Sir John Gielgud to name a few.
I mention this because I would love to see you do a video on that performance.
I enjoy your work, keep up the great content.
13:10 one of the more clever jabs at politics I've seen. Good work.
Will we ever have a The Hollow Crown review?
This speech is absolutely worshiped in the military, along with the one from Coriolanus.
Means something slightly different there. Where you warn of being persuaded by people acting against your own best interest, most of the time, the dudes (and now women, I suppose) addressing you usually acknowledge the fact that you're in a far likelier chance of getting killed for practically no gain.
I've written extensively about different versions of Henry V and while I personally think Tom Hiddleston's Henry V is the best in humanizing Henry, Olivier's is intensely important and interesting when thinking of it as propaganda.
I gather you mean major movie versions, which if you count Hiddles's version as a movie, there are three. I didn't think his interpretation was particularly good, or true to either Shakespeare's character or the real Henry V. He didn't seem like a leader. And I thought he was "humanized" in Henry IV, 1 & 2? YMMV, of course
Gotta say, that three-year-old really knocked it out of the park.
Have you heard the Chimes at Midnight, Kyle?
Yes he did. Watch his review of it!
You and I...
Hey man. For a dude who started doing 3D modeling a year ago, that stage looked damn good.
Yay! You're doing Shakespeare things again! I like that you're taking the show in a new direction but sometimes it's nice to go back and revisit older formats. It's like seeing an old friend.
I got so excited when I saw this in my feed! I love your videos and I watched this movie all the time when I was little. This video makes me want to go back and re-watch with a more critical eye.
Just when I was hoping this year's Summer of Shakespeare, if it even happened, would have a Laurence Olivier overview like the one Kyle did for Kenneth Branagh... my prayer is answered!
Loving the hair, Kyle!
If you could collab with Olly at Philosophy Tube, that would be dope.
The interesting thing about Olivier's Henry V is that while it leaves most of the unsavory things out, it left in the fact that the churchmen swayed Henry to war on France just so they would not have to give up their lands to him. If Olivier wanted the French to closely resemble the Axis Powers of WWII, he would've left the part where the French cavalry supposedly killed the luggage boys. [EDIT: My mistake. The French do kill the luggage boys in the film. I forgot it until I saw the film recently.] He left out Bardolph getting hanged, although Bardolph clearly died in the war. Olivier's version is indeed a lighter version of the play, but it is interesting that he kept the morally ambiguous motive for the war intact.
The film also seems to pay homage to Robin Hood, like when the English longbowmen lure the French cavalry to the forest, and then jump on them from tree tops bearing knives. It takes liberties with the actual Battle of Agincourt, but it works very well visually and dramatically.
It is interesting that the play itself, although it's a glorious celebration of Henry V's victory, contains a great deal of moral ambiguity and tragic subplots. Some critics think Henry V was meant as a veiled critique of the king by Shakespeare, and there are scenes which corroborate their claim. Henry shouting those horrifying things at the gate, the soldiers' ambivalent feelings for Henry, Henry hanging Bardolph, and Henry's motivations for warring on France. And yet, there are times when Shakespeare would comment on how glorious Henry V's actions were. There are also times when Shakespeare would apply the nobility of Henry V to less than honorable men, like the Earl of Essex. Shakespeare wrote how the Earl of Essex's campaign in Ireland would be just as glorious as Agincourt. Shakespeare was supposedly a fan of Essex back in the day. Considering that Essex fumbled the Irish campaign, and rebelled against Elizabeth due to hurt feelings and excessive pride, he was no Henry V. It's hard to say what Shakespeare's actual intentions were, because there's so much in his plays, and they could be interpreted in so many ways.
It makes me wonder how Olivier would've handled the Henry IV plays, if given the chance. I'm certainly glad Orson Wells adapted them for the Chimes at Midnight.
I recommend checking out Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare. It discusses a lot of historical and literary context to Shakespeare's plays, including Henry V. Asimov makes a lot of interesting interpretations of Henry V. Asimov speculated that the luggage boys were actually killed by English soldiers or thieves rather than the French cavalry. He also thinks that the parts about Fluellen and Gower referring to Alexander the Great as "the pig" is a meant as a criticism of Henry. His interpretation of Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech in his book is also worth checking out
By the way, the reference to the Agincourt mission from the Age of Empires II expansion was awesome,
amazing video. thank you
Somehow it almost always happens that whenever my University does a 48-hour Film Festival, Kyle puts out a video in the same week. I like to take it as an omen of good fortune, since Kyle is one of the reasons I decided to go to film school in the first place.
Thank you.
Thanks for this. I needed it.
Ah, very nice. Your Bard videos are often your best videos.
I wonder if an actor could take that "none else of name" and make it a moment of discovery for Henry, make him aware of the lie he has told his men. Because he's not just reading off the list after winning, he's doing so after the victory was handed to him while he was in a rage upon seeing the slaughter of boys at the baggage camp. Maybe a director could block the scene to have soldiers carrying the bodies of these nameless men across the stage in full view of Henry. The night before, Henry was debating and contemplating the role of the common man to the king in the face of war, and he held to the duty of the people to their king, to him; so how would it read to have that same king witness the cost of that duty, and how might that weigh on his soul?
What a lovely mop top you're getting there, Kyle. Seriously though, you always bring great insight on your channel. I never knew vile would lead to villain, which in turn is rooted from village.
For whatever work of genius LO has done, he still played Othello himself: so I cannot respect him.
So "Rocky I" is the St Crispen's Day Speech made manifest, is what you're telling me. His victory was in the attempt - and the telling - not in winning itself (since, you know, he lost that one!).
Why is King Richard III staring at me?
I think you do a dis-service to Branagh's Harry here.
In his early life he spent his time with the commoners, learning how they lived. Before the Battle he goes about the camp in disguise to check on the condition and moral of his men. In the opening scene he cautions his advisors to be careful in advocating for war because: 'never did two such nations contend without much fall of blood'.
Immediately after reading the names of the dead Henry helps carry the bodies of the slain children away for burial.
This is a man who cares about his people. He gives the speech that he knows will encourage them for a battle that he has to believe he will probably lose and then, despite all odds, it becomes a great victory. A man hands him a scrap of paper with the names of the dead on it and its not big enough to record all of them. He reads off the Named dead and they include Davie Gamm who is not a nobleman or a knight. He holds the title Esquire which means he own the freehold to his land and doesn't pay rent. He is the social equivalent of Falstaff. Henry doesn't read the other names because they aren't on the paper, it's not big enough to record 25 more names. In reality it's Mr Shakespeare realizing that a long boring list of names would ruin the emotional climax of his play.
Maybe to Branagh's Hal, but not to the plays' I'd say. Tom Hiddleston's Hal/Henry is more obviously ego focused, manipulative, and cruel. Branagh did a good job of making his Hal more likable and heroic, even with the lines kept. The addition of carrying the child (that's Christian Bale btw!) is a part of that heroism portrayal for sure
@@TsukiGeek Now that you mention it, the Hollow Crown does not feel like Shakespeare. When Shakespeare wrote Henry V, he wrote a specific type of Hal, a Hal similar to Branagh's. This was a Hal who was inspiring and cared for the commoners, but at the same time recognized his importance as king and the necessity for ruthlessness in battle (even though the ruthlessness is not shown). The way the Hollow Crown did Henry V makes me think that they were retelling Henry V as if it was told by Dostoevsky, not Shakespeare. Similarly, they retold Richard III in a Dostoevsky fashion, not in a Shakespearean fashion.
@@TsukiGeek Huh, I always felt Hiddleston's more intimate version of Saint Crispin's speech made it seem more sincere, as it went out to only his inner circle. I always felt Branagh's theatrical version made him feel like another mask the king wears, another character he plays, like thanks to the bombast of his version the audience can see it's all an act.
Always great work man.
Keep it up.
I ought to comment something of substance but...damn, Kyle, looking like a SNACK
Thanks Kyle
Excellent content, as usual. I saw an exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library about Shakespeare and Churchill, and the exhibit documented Churchill's interest in this play and letters he quoted it in, and there was a clip of this speech from the Olivier adaptation. Funny what that exhibit didn't point out about that particular speech--both in what dialog it lacks and why it would have been so poignant to a British audience of that time, and why it maybe shouldn't have been...
I've missed you, Kyle. The Blender model looked really good, really! A short, but rousing video. Always enjoyable to see you.
Would you ever consider getting friends together and reciting some of the bard's plays? I always love hearing you recite Shakespeare, you almost sing the words.
Hooray! At last, a normal BHH episode!
The character of Harry in the two parts of "Henry IV", and "Henry V" is such a prick. He rejected and arrested his best friend, Falstaff after he became a king, he let Bardolph die and he invaded to France, causing the death of hundred people, without any reason but pure imperialism and ambition. I really dislike him.
Great video, by the way!!!
I like how you include the camera in your acting in the beginning
P R E T E N T I O U S Kyle is BACK!
My ancestor John Holman was one of the none else of name, a Welsh bowman who fought at Agencourt.
A truly great video. I love both versions of Henry V, although Olivier's version will always be the more magical of the two. BTW, probably the most significant of Olivier's changes was leaving off the chorus's epilogue, where we are informed that Henry was followed by "Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crowned king/Of France and England, did this king succeed,/Whose state so many had the managing/That they lost France and made his England bleed." In other words, the whole damn war and the bloody victory in the mud of Agincourt were for nothing. Derek Jacobi duly performs these chilling lines at the end of Branagh's version, but I can't really blame Olivier for leaving them out in 1944.
In fact, just as the 300 were made immortal by being listed on a sign raised by the Spartan Assembly or the Ephors, all the veterans were raised to Gentleman status (two levels below knight, nothing to do with their manners or their manors). They were not forgotten, we (i.e., then-contemporary Englishmen) forgot their names.
omg my baby is learning 3d, i'm so proud of you kyle
When Henry was a prince he and his father fought a battle with "Harry Hotspurs" Percy. Percy was killed in the fighting but Henry was struck in the face with bodkin arrow. The arrowhead was buried six inches in his head and he was saved by a rather skilled surgeon. It would be nice to see a version of Henry that showed him with the facial scars. Here is a link with a short article about Prince Hal's head wound.
www.medievalists.net/2013/05/prince-hals-head-wound-cause-and-effect/
So, if you're irked about the lying in play just remember the time he got seriously clobbered.
Fantastic.
Kyle's hair looks like the hair in with Shakespeare is mostly portraied in paintings. Did he ever made a cosplay of the bard? If he made a video in this cosplay, it wold be so awesome!
It's okay, Myst is one of my favorite games.
I honestly would like to see more videos from you on Lawrence Olivier. He did so many Shakespeare movies
4:59 Actually the Globe Theatre was rebuilt only a year after it burned down. The second Globe was closed down during the English Civil war and was eventually torn down c.1644. The modern Globe Theatre is actually the third of that name.
It is the war speech. Hollywood in a nutshell is the Keanu Reeves version of that famous Shakespearean speech featured in the football movie, The Replacements.
Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever.
"This is okay, but it wound up looking like something of the original Myst".
Had my childhood self heard you say that, he would've scoffed and asked "What's so wrong about THAT?"
It's been a childhood dream, to learn how to do 3D modeling, ever since I played Dragon Lore. :)
I'll say it, since it seems no one else does: unshaved Farquaad. (Forgive me, Kyle)
Hey! no Dissing the O! For self taught you did hella good and I won't let you talk down about it! You take pride in your 3D effort! You're doing good!
Stuff like this really makes me wanna read Shakespeare
Hey! That looks pretty good for blender one year on. It's better than most of the assets up on Steam, anyway.
Kyle and Olly upload at the same time and both do Shakespeare :D Happy day
Just got to say your eyeliner is on point Kyle.
Funnily enough, I’m not wearing eyeliner. Maybe I’m born with it.
Great video man, the only thing I’m bothered by is that you have the exact hair style as me and I cannot stand for that
12:06 Olivier has another small change here that is easy to miss. The original line is "...and of all other men but five-and-twenty." Olivier changes the death toll to be "...five-and-twenty *score* ," which means the English lost about 500 men in Olivier's version.
i donno, this entire thing made me think about the people i study, who i want to study, which are medieval english peasants or otherwise the lower class -- the villains, yes. it made me think about how they are the none of name and reminded me sort of why i focus on them, because they are forgotten, and i feel a giant responsibility to remember them. so here's to you, margery herbardes, and hugo turnor and his daughter joanna, and agnes, john murther, john de staunford, adam de osgodby,
If I had a tardis I'd bring Shakespeare to the present day and introduce him to movie making
stormRed1236 I have a feeling he'd be so impressed by basic SFX he'd make a terrible movie
You are my favourite Shakespearian scholar
With the lighting and odd angle, I thought I was watching a Diamanda Hagan video for a few seconds.
Great video! Your hair looks fantastic, too! Suits you real well!