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virtuous conduct generating wonderful results that lift and unite the hearts of the realm; and, on
the other, governing in a way that would genuinely contribute to the ‘common good’ by
distributing liberty, prosperity, and security as broadly as possible. Accordingly, as we have
seen, his spectacles are not only colored with patriotism and religion, but backed up with
republicanizing policy. The Chorus’ depiction of the victorious Henry entering London as both a
Christian king and a “conquering Caesar” (5.0.28) is thus especially apt. Only Shakespeare’s
Caesar - in whom Bloom notes the capacity to achieve great political ends through a masterful
blend of high-minded stoic idealism and realistic Epicurean materialism - can rival his Henry in
this regard.
As we saw in Part One however, Shakespeare’s Henry is also aware of many of the
teachings Machiavelli provides his prince. He is not naively pious like Richard II, but neither is
he coldly fixed on the low motives of men as his father seems to be.
9
As Falstaff puts it, in an
encomium of the power of alcohol to elicit noble action,
Hereof comes it that Prince Harry is valiant; for
the cold blood he did naturally inherit of his
father, he hath, like lean, sterile and bare land,
manured, husbanded and tilled with excellent
endeavour of drinking good and good store of fertile
sherris, that he is become very hot and valiant. (2H4, 4.3.115-121)
Here it seems we have a man with a unique mix of piety, reason, and erotic longing, arriving
exactly when his country needs him – an armed prophet with a conscience. The greatest
innovation to my mind in Shakespeare’s presentation of Henry’s political contributions is his
awareness of the need to channel people’s longings into patriotism, especially insofar as religious
duty is losing its political hold. Henry’s ability to take people’s awe of God and the noble and
9
Although there is justifiable dispute over Henry IV’s religiosity, I am provisionally persuaded by Dain A Trafton’s
excellent analysis, which argues that Henry IV is best characterized by his prudent awareness of necessity
(cf.4.5.218), but lacks the capacity to generate the higher sentiments to re-found in the way he needed to; namely, as
an armed prophet.
Convention