"We band of brothers..."

How does Shakespeare's "St. Crispin's Day" speech from the play, Henry V influence feelings about fighting for one's country, or war in general? (Big Question: How are war and the arts connected?)

The famous "St. Crispin's Day speech", a monologue by the character of Henry V in Shakespeare's play of the same name, is known as the iconic rallying cry. It's been used in the military and with sports teams alike, and is thought of as the quintessential motivational speech - particularly for the underdog.

It's October 25, 1415 (during the Hundred Years' War) and Henry, the English king (aka Harry) has joined his rag-tag army on the field of Agincourt as they await the heavily armed, supposedly superior French troops, who greatly outnumber them. The play was written in 1600, but this speech was used especially in World War II to stimulate courage and boost morale and patriotism.

Many expressions we use today are lifted from this speech:

"as familiar as household words"

"band of brothers"

"we happy few"

One of the most moving renditions is from the actor Kenneth Branaugh (if you look closely you can see baby Batman Christian Bates):

Here you can see how it translates well to modern times, from the film "Renaissance Man" :

You can find the entire scene here but below is the text so you can read it while listening to the audio. There is also a translation into more modern language.

What's he that wishes so? My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin: If we are mark'd to die, we are enow To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honour. God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more. By Jove, I am not covetous for gold, Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; It yearns me not if men my garments wear; Such outward things dwell not in my desires: But if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive. No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England: God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour As one man more, methinks, would share from me For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more! Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host, That he which hath no stomach to this fight, Let him depart; his passport shall be made And crowns for convoy put into his purse: We would not die in that man's company That fears his fellowship to die with us. This day is called the feast of Crispian: He that outlives this day, and comes safe home, Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named, And rouse him at the name of Crispian. He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours, And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:' Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars. And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.' Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages What feats he did that day: then shall our names. Familiar in his mouth as household words Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd. This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remember'd; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition: And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Analysis

So what finally happened? In the actual battle, Henry joined his troops and ordered all his men to spend the night before the battle in silence, on pain of having an ear cut off. He told his men that he would rather die in the coming battle than be captured and ransomed. The English were outnumbered 5-1 and up against experienced armored knights on horses while they were mostly foot soldiers and longbowmen (archers).

But the terrain was on England's side....it was a narrow area and when crammed together the French had a difficult time deploying weapons. Also, it had rained and the mud caused the heavily armored men to get stuck and fall. One account says:

"the living fell on top of the dead, and others falling on top of the living were killed as well."

Supposedly the English lost around 100 men while the French counted up to 11,000 dead. Henry V returned to his country a conquering hero, immortalized by Shakespeare and his play. Things started looking up for England for the remainder of the war, and the 200 years or so later a clever poet dramatized the events.

Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the UK in WWII

Apparently, Henry V told his men that the French had boasted that they would cut off two fingers from the right hand of every archer, so that he could never draw a longbow again. After the battle, English archers were showing French captives those fingers as if saying “See – my fingers are still here”. This gesture is now known as the “V” – victory gesture.

Connections to WWI Soldier Poetry

How does all this tie in to our exploration of WWI soldier poetry?

One interesting line in the same scene, in another monologue by Henry V, goes like this:

"And those that leave their valiant bones in France, Dying like men, though buried in your dunghills, They shall be famed; for there the sun shall greet them, And draw their honours reeking up to heaven; Leaving their earthly parts to choke your clime, The smell whereof shall breed a plague in France"

How is this sentiment similar to that of "The Soldier", written by WWI soldier-poet Rupert Brooke in 1914:

The Soldier

If I should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England. There you shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam, A body of England's, breathing English air, Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away, A pulse in the eternal mind, no less Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given; Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day; And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness, In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

"The Soldier" is from a series of sonnets by Brooke called "1914", so obviously it was written at the start of the war, when patriotism and dreams of glory were high, much like the rally of the St. Crispin's Day speech. As the war progressed and got darker and more horrific, the tone of poetry changed as well.

Interestingly, in 1969 prior to the first moon landing, President Nixon prepared a speech which included these words (in case of a disaster):

"For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind."

http://watergate.info/1969/07/20/an-undelivered-nixon-speech.html