Henry V, a ShakespeAARe

[SirCliveWolfe]

&

present...

The Life of Henry the Fifth

Hello my friends and readAARs, welcome to my tale. Yes I have gone and finally done it, not content with my own meager language and creativity I have decided to plagiarise on of the most famous people, let alone writers, in our history, Shakespeare.


Ever since I was a boy I have loved the writing’s of “The Bard”, I loved his use of language, such a “strange” way of words for our modern minds. This is why I have decided to do this, I know many on these forums probably know a lot more about the man and his works than me, but I would love to spread his words. I am changing the narrative, but will leave the dialogue alone. Only changing in one or two instances. For example, this AAR is set in the early 1919/1920 so there will be tanks rarther than Knights and so on….


I hope that people who know this play well will read for a different “angle” on the work… as I also hope that some who do not know of the play, or those who may have been put off by the “language” may find my telling a way to approach the great work…


I’ll try not to be condescending and leave the dialogue mostly “unmolested”, please tell me if I am over explaining the language, or if you do not understand any of the passages.


Lastly, the updates should be quick in coming, but short in duration… and I hope that I can do the man justice.


And now on with the show, I must explain that apart from the actors, there is also the “Chorus” that basically provide the narrative… they have an important role in the play, and I have chosen to use my own words here, and so we begin.​

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[SirCliveWolfe]

The Life of Henry the Fifth


Prologue (Chorus)


O Gentlemen of England, Europe and the World, let me recount my tale to you all. I am here to share a journey from England’s sweet, sweet shores to the blood infested fields of once fair France. The brightest heaven of invention, with two Kingdoms as its stage. It’s actors men of Royal blood, as well as those from the cesspits of humanity united in its telling. At our warlike Harry’s heals snap the hounds of famine, sword and fire, all to descend upon the pages here within.


But can this blank canvas hold men at battle? Can mere bytes on a server soak in blood? No, they can not indeed, and so I ask your pardon my gentle Lords and Ladies. You must engage yourself in reflection and build the field’s of France in you mind, and put upon them men in all there majesty and perfidy.


So I ask you all to know follow in my steps and see the world you will create for yourselves, let us go to merry old London and begin our tale.
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[unmerged(61356)]

Sounds interesting. I'm a fan of Shakespeare myself and I'm interested to see how this goes.

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

Another fan of Shakespeare joining at once!

 

[unmerged(61606)]

I enjoy Shakespeare as well (who doesn't?). A modern day Shakespearean tale should be an original read.

 

[unmerged(62170)]

My lord, what an idea! Can't wait to see this develop

 

[likk9922]

Odd choice to do an HoI AAr as Shakespeare, but OK! I'll roll with it!

Good start.

 

[El Pip]

An interesting concept Wolfey, I wish you luck as it's quite a challenge you've set yourself.

 

[SirCliveWolfe]

The Life of Henry the Fifth


Act First


Scene One – An ante-chamber in Buckingham Palace.

Chorus:
Waiting to see the King is the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely, they are gravely concerned by the new King and his administration. Plans are afoot in Parliament to heavily tax God's Church in England and the two senior members of the Church have come at the command of the monarch and are uneasy as to what he may have to say. There may be some light at the en of the tunnel though, Canterbury, the more senior and worldly wise has the stirrings of an idea, he pases around the small room and ruminating all the time;

CANTERBURY:
My lord, I'll tell you: that self bill is urg'd,
Which in the eleventh year of the last king's reign
Was like, and had indeed against us pass'd,
But that the scambling and unquiet time
Did push it out of farther question.

ELY:
But how, my lord, shall we resist it now?

CANTERBURY:
It must be thought on. If it pass against us,
We lose the better half of our possession;
For all the temporal lands, which men devout
By testament have given to the Church
Would they strip from us; being valu'd thus:
As much as would maintain, to the King's honour,
Full fifteen earls and fifteen hundred knights,
Six thousand and two hundred good esquires;
And, to relief of lazars and weak age,
Of indigent faint souls, past corporal toil,
A hundred almshouses right well suppli'd;
And to the coffers of the King beside,
A thousand pounds by the year. Thus runs the bill.

ELY:
This would drink deep.

CANTERBURY:
'Twould drink the cup and all.

ELY:
But what prevention?

​

Chorus:
Ely's question is is direct to the heart of the mater, before they can decide upon a course of action Canterbury focus upon the body and mind of the king, the men agree that while young 'Hary' may be filled with war lust, he is a good man and a true believer;

CANTERBURY:
The King is full of grace and fair regard.

ELY:
And a true lover of the holy Church.

CANTERBURY:
The courses of his youth promis'd it not.
The breath no sooner left his father's body,
But that his wildness, mortifi'd in him,
Seem'd to die too; yea, at that very moment
Consideration like an angel came
And whipp'd the offending Adam out of him,
Leaving his body as a paradise
To envelope and contain celestial spirits.
Never was such a sudden scholar made;
Never came reformation in a flood
With such a heady currance, scouring faults;
Nor never Hydra-headed wilfulness
So soon did lose his seat, and all at once,
As in this king.

ELY:
We are blessed in the change.

CANTERBURY:
Hear him but reason in divinity,
And, all-admiring, with an inward wish
You would desire the King were made a prelate;
Hear him debate of commonwealth affairs,
You would say it hath been all in all his study;
List his discourse of war, and you shall hear
A fearful battle rend'red you in music;
Turn him to any cause of policy,
The Gordian knot of it he will unloose,
Familiar as his garter; that, when he speaks,
The air, a charter'd libertine, is still,
And the mute wonder lurketh in men's ears,
To steal his sweet and honey'd sentences;
So that the art and practic' part of life
Must be the mistress to this theoric:
Which is a wonder how his Grace should glean it,
Since his addiction was to courses vain,
His companies unletter'd, rude, and shallow,
His hours fill'd up with riots, banquets, sports,
And never noted in him any study,
Any retirement, any sequestration
From open haunts and popularity.

ELY:
The strawberry grows underneath the nettle,
And wholesome berries thrive and ripen best
Neighbour'd by fruit of baser quality;
And so the Prince obscur'd his contemplation
Under the veil of wildness; which, no doubt,
Grew like the summer grass, fastest by night,
Unseen, yet crescive in his faculty.

CANTERBURY:
It must be so; for miracles are ceas'd,
And therefore we must needs admit the means
How things are perfected.

​

ELY:
But, my good lord,
How now for mitigation of this bill
Urg'd by the commons? Doth his Majesty
Incline to it, or no?

CANTERBURY:
He seems indifferent,
Or rather swaying more upon our part
Than cherishing the exhibiters against us;
For I have made an offer to his Majesty,
Upon our spiritual convocation
And in regard of causes now in hand,
Which I have open'd to his Grace at large,
As touching France, to give a greater sum
Than ever at one time the clergy yet
Did to his predecessors part withal.

ELY:
How did this offer seem receiv'd, my lord?

CANTERBURY:
With good acceptance of his Majesty;
Save that there was not time enough to hear,
As I perceiv'd his Grace would fain have done,
The severals and unhidden passages
Of his true titles to some certain dukedoms,
And generally to the crown and seat of France
Deriv'd from Edward, his great-grandfather.

ELY:
What was the impediment that broke this off?

CANTERBURY:
The French ambassador upon that instant
Crav'd audience; and the hour, I think, is come
To give him hearing. Is it four o'clock?

ELY:
It is.

CANTERBURY:
Then go we in, to know his embassy;
Which I could with a ready guess declare,
Before the Frenchman speak a word of it.

ELY:
I'll wait upon you, and I long to hear it.

Chorus:
The two men effectively decided to try and bribe the king who was wavering in his support, the Church will make a huge 'donation' and support the king 'to the hilt' in the matter of his war with France, in return the judge that the king will silence the bill of the commons an they can rest easy with their wealth.​

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[unmerged(61606)]

Wow... that was.. amazing. VERY well written, sounds very much like Shakespeare. Great job.

 

[El Pip]

Easily the most unusual piece of writing I've seen on this forum, but in a good way I hasten to add.

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

Indeed, I fully agree. It's not only one of the most promising AAR out there, but one of the most unexpected.

Erm... No Spanish Inquisition will appear, I hope...

 

[Vann the Red]

Interesting idea, Sir Clive. Sounds like a fun ride.

Vann

 

[SirCliveWolfe]

rcduggan: Erm... o that may well be because it is Shakespeare's writing... I only added the chorus bits to explain some of the conversation, thanks anyway

El Pip: Thanks Pippy, but really?... I'm not too pleased with it so far, theres not much I can change from the orignial at the moment, that will come later with more from the chorus

Kurt_Steiner: Wow thank you very much, same question to you as to Pippy, not sure that I am changing too much at the moment

Vann the red: Thanks dude, hope you enjoy it

 

[unmerged(61606)]

rcduggan: Erm... o that may well be because it is Shakespeare's writing... I only added the chorus bits to explain some of the conversation, thanks anyway

Ah, well Henry V is one the Shakespeares I have not read. Guess I should before commenting on this.

 

[El Pip]

El Pip: Thanks Pippy, but really?... I'm not too pleased with it so far, theres not much I can change from the original at the moment, that will come later with more from the chorus

It may not be original but it is still the most unusual, if only because I have not seen anyone else do anything else Shakespeare inspired.

 

[Lord E]

Can’t believe I haven’t seen this before now. But this really is a great idea and a great tale SirClive. I must say you have embarked on quit a project, but so far you have done very well indeed. Looking forward to read more

 

[stnylan]

Thread necromancy is discouraged, and this discussion now has nothing to do with this AAR. Thread closed and offending posts deleted