Henry V (1623): A Broadview Internet Shakespeare Edition

Upon opening their expensive new book in 1623, buyers of the folio collection of William Shakespeares plays were promised The Life of Henry the Fift. What they went on to read, however, was not a full life in the modern biographical sense. The battle of Agincourt is the plays main event; every scene leads up to or follows directly from the climax of one of Englands most one-sided and famous victories. The plays ambiguous portrayal of war has spurred critical debate for centuries, and its performances have reflected shifting political and cultural views.

James D. Mardocks Introduction provides an extensive discussion of Henry Vs critical and stage histories and explores the plays complex relationship with other history plays (and with history itself). The appendices provide materials on the plays historical background and sources, as well as documents on contemporary warfare. Additional materials, including an annotated text of the 1600 quarto (Q1) edition, are available on the Internet Shakespeare Editions website.

A collaboration between Broadview Press and the Internet Shakespeare Editions project at the University of Victoria, the editions developed for this series have been comprehensively annotated and draw on the authoritative texts newly edited for the ISE. This innovative series allows readers to access extensive and reliable online resources linked to the print edition.