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8/7/2019 King_Henry_V[1]
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Kenneth Branaughs film version of William ShakespearesHenry Vis based on the exploration
of leadership. Although the film was difficult to follow at times, certain diction and actions of the
characters made the film easier to follow. The diction and actions of King Henry V definitely
showcased his abilities as a leader. Henry Vfocuses on leadership development by concentrating
on succession, conflict and redemption. In the film, Henry V shows growth through stature andability all while developing skills and credibility in the eyes of his followers. Because of this
growth, Henry V comes to epitomize transformational leadership through his use of key qualitieslike vision and values, energy and a teachable point of view. It is through his use of vision and
values, energy and a teachable point of view that his followers witness not only his growth as a
leader, but also his attention to Englands well-being, unifying his realm and achieving
organizational goals.
When young King Henry V assumed the throne of his father, Henry IV, he was adamant on
gaining the respect of the English people and the court. In order to gain this respect, Henry V had
to live down his wild adolescent past in which he befriended drunkards and thieves and showed
disrespect to the throne. As shown in the film, Henry V was willing to do whatever was
necessary to disassociate himself with his adolescent past. If this meant rejecting his former
drunkard and thieve friends, then Henry would do it. Even Henry, himself, killing one of his
former lowlife friends was not out of the question. As of course, was the case with Bardolph andNim being hanged at Henrys command. Also, a former friend named Scrope was executed at
Henrys command. By eliminating any ties to his troubled youth, Henry placed his personal
feelings second to only the needs of the crown. These are some of the examples of how Henry
attempted to model the way of his expectations to his followers as well as challenge the process.
As a result of Henry shifting his priorities in the direction of his kingship, Henry, in essence,
became viewed as brilliant, focused, fearless and committed to the responsibilities of the crown
and his kingship. Henry V would then go on to lay claim to certain parts of France and
eventually lead and invasion of France. It is this metamorphosis of Henry going from a young,
troubled adolescent to a brilliant, committed leader that defines the meaning of transformational
leadership.
So with this said, if Henry V had not been able to transform himself into a sufficient and effective
leader in the eyes of his followers, would he have been able to succeed in his invasion of France
and historical domination of Europe? Quite simply, I believe the answer to this question is no.
During Henrys transformation process into an effective leader, Henry appeared to have learned
from the mistakes of his past and not only sought to abolish any connections, but also chose to
change his ways by learning from those followers around him. Through time, Henry learned to
speak to and motivate his followers through his own teachable point of view filled with vision,
values and energy.
King Henry V did not only become a great leader, but also a great teacher. In becoming a great
leader, Henry was focused to act in ways that seemed immoral and even unforgivable, but he didthis in order to strengthen his stance in the eyes of his followers. Having been associated with a
great deal of commoners in his adolescent years, Henry was able to relate to his followers on all
levels and also his soldiers. Yes, Henry was royalty, but he did not appear so quick as to
constantly remind them of his royal upbringing unless it was needed to make a point.
One of the best examples of Henrys ability to relate to his followers/soldiers came on the night
before the Battle of Agincourt. (During the Battle of Agincourt, the English were outnumbered
five men to every one man). The night before the battle, King Henry disguised himself as a
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common soldier and talked to several soldiers in his camp. Henry learned who they were and
what they thought of the battle in which they were involved. Henry was able to get a feel for the
emotions and the involvement of his soldiers before he headed into the biggest battle of his and
their lives. Later on that night, Henry rethought the opinions of his soldiers and lamented his
responsibilities as king. And much like an effective leader would do, Henry had drawnappropriate lessons from talks and experiences with his soldiers formed these lessons into
knowledge. Henry had established a point of view. This particular point of view came aboutfrom Henry organizing his thoughts in a way that he could communicate them clearly to his
soldiers. Henry was then set to deliver this point of view that would engage his soldiers/followers
both emotionally and intellectually. Henry passionately delivered his new found point of view
the next morning on St. Crispins Day.
On St. Crispins Day, King Henry V appeared to completely transform himself into the
exemplary leader that he had so terribly sought to become. Through his words of We few, we
happy few, we band of brothers Henry spoke with words and also action. He displayed his
energy and created energy in his soldiers, a sense of urgency and an inspiring mission. Henry had
taken the knowledge that he had formed the night before St. Crispins Day and used it to inspire a
shared vision between he and his soldiers. Henry had learned to speak his soldiers/followers
language. On St. Crispins Day, Henry spoke to their dreams, hopes, aspirations and values.That day, Henry enlisted his soldiers in his vision and it propelled them all to make extraordinary
things happen. King Henry and his soldiers had finally been united, and his commitment to the
glory of England and the justice of his cause enabled he and his soldiers to overcome incredible
odds as they defeated the French at the Battle of Agincourt.
As I touched on before,Henry Vmay have not been the easiest film to follow for an audience or a
reader, but the film did have certain points that made an impression on me. All of these points
centered around Henry V. And thinking back on it, I am sure that this is how the original
playwright, William Shakespeare intended his play to be perceived. There was not a happy story
nor cast of characters that stood out to me from the film. There was just King Henry V and then
everyone else. I believe that this is the case not just because the film/play bears Henrys name,
but also to better focus the audiences attention on all the important attributes and thedevelopment of King Henry V as an individual.
King Henry V was without a doubt, a transformational leader. Henry began his exploration of
leadership by first showing his personal side as an adolescent and then later his organizational
side as a leader. The filmHenry Vgave me a chance to witness the transformation that a person
can go through in order to become a leader. King Henry V obviously showed physical signs of
growth from an adolescent into an adult, but more importantly as a leader. Henry grew into a
leader thanks to his followers around him. Henry was constantly learning from his friends long
before he became king, and he was constantly learning from is followers once he became King
Henry V. As a result of this learning process, Henry was able to develop into a leader with skillsand credibility. He also became a leader who placed his personal feeling aside to lead his people
through his mastery of vision and values, energy and a teachable point of view. However, in myopinion, it is not until the Battle of Agincourt that Henrys transformation from a leader into a
winning leader came full circle. Henry and his English army were outnumbered by the French
five to one and Henry found a way to rally his soldiers to victory. Henrys St. Crispins Day
speech and his victory at Agincourt are what cemented him as a winning leader in the film and
also in history. Moreover, with all of this said, the filmHenry Vserved as an excellent learning
tool for leadership.
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