Henry IV: The Movement of Henry's Crusade
Matt Camacho
Those opposed eyes,
Which, like the meteors of a troubled heaven,
All of one nature, of one substance bred
Did lately meet in intestine shock
And furious close of civil butchery,
Shall now in mutual well-beseeming ranks
March all one way, and be no more opposed
Against acquaintance, kindred, and allies.
The edge of war, like an ill-sheathed knife,
No more shall cut his master. Therefore, friends,
As far to the sepulchre of Christ-
Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross
We are impressed and engaged to fight-
Forthwith a power of English shall we levy,
Whose arms were moulded in their mothers’ womb
To chase these pagans in those holy fields (I.i.9-24)
Henry believes that a war for Jerusalem ("the sepulchre of Christ") will provide his state with an ironic peace, yet this also forms the basis of his grievances throughout the play. Unlike the Bolingbroke of Richard II, Henry is fully committed to war, hence the reason why he emphasizes the oneness of his aims. In his eyes, the Englishmen are "all of one nature" and thus should "march all one way" to Jerusalem. They shall be of like men in his expedition, bonded by "mutual well-beseeming ranks," which is a line that speaks to the restorative effect Henry hopes to invoke. Moreover, all these English soldiers shall, in effect, make up a single "soldier" that shall fight beneath the banner of Christ.
Yet, Henry does not state all of this without taking himself into account. Warfare to him is a tool, "an ill-sheathed knife" that he seeks to utilize further, rather than cast aside entirely. Despite receiving criticism for his bloodshed in the past, Henry is somehow convinced that, so long as his men get on the same page, things will turn out differently this time. His emphasis upon oneness later becomes a melancholy obsession, and he later rants:
Yet, Henry does not state all of this without taking himself into account. Warfare to him is a tool, "an ill-sheathed knife" that he seeks to utilize further, rather than cast aside entirely. Despite receiving criticism for his bloodshed in the past, Henry is somehow convinced that, so long as his men get on the same page, things will turn out differently this time. His emphasis upon oneness later becomes a melancholy obsession, and he later rants:
O God, that one might read the book of fate,
And see the revolution of the times
Make mountains level, and the continent,
Wear of solid firmness, melt itself
Into the sea; (2 Henry IV, iii.i.43-48)
Here, his views become almost nihilistic, and he wishes he could see the landscape turn into a single flat mass and melt. In both of these quotes, Shakespeare plays a common idea of his time. Phrases concerning "mobility" originally came from the Latin phrase "mobile vulgus" (Frazer, 1). Notice the second word’s similarity to "vulgar." Too much movement, whether emotional or physical, was considered disruptive. The land melting into the sea is preferable to discord in movement. With this in mind, it is easy to see why Henry is so urgently pushing for holy war.
It is also easy to see why Henry reacts so harshly to the activities of his son, Prince Hal. When King Henry, dying of an illness, hears of his son’s continually unorthodox behavior, he remarks:
It is also easy to see why Henry reacts so harshly to the activities of his son, Prince Hal. When King Henry, dying of an illness, hears of his son’s continually unorthodox behavior, he remarks:
Most subject is the fattest soil to weeds,
And he, the noble image of my youth,
Is overspread with them; therefore my grief
Stretches itself beyond the hour of death. (2 Henry IV, iv.iii.54-57)
Hal parallels Henry’s own development, and Henry, still reeling from Richard II’s murder, suddenly becomes aware of his own "noble image of [his] youth." Furthermore, he remarks that Hal is "overspread" with weeds and that Henry’s grief "stretches" beyond his death as a result. Henry emphasizes spreading and stretching because, as king, his actions extend far beyond himself. He makes this clearer by declaring "Harry the Fifth is crowned. Up vanity! / Down, royal state!" (iv.iii.256-257). Pride and the royal state are going in opposite directions, which is what Henry fears most.
If Henry is to be the master of the "soldier" sent to the Holy Land, then he needs a focused mind, just as Hal is going to need to be focused in order to be king. Henry’s crusade is a way of providing a single goal for his followers to focus on. Thus, his English nation shall "march all one way" before and beyond his death.
If Henry is to be the master of the "soldier" sent to the Holy Land, then he needs a focused mind, just as Hal is going to need to be focused in order to be king. Henry’s crusade is a way of providing a single goal for his followers to focus on. Thus, his English nation shall "march all one way" before and beyond his death.