Review of Henry V Globe Theatre

1. What was your overall impression of the play and the theatre? My overall impression of the play and the theatre was very positive. Although I had previously attended a play at the Globe Theatre a couple years ago, I never received a tour like we did before we saw Henry V. This enabled me to really learn the history of the building as well as exactly why and how the plays are reenacted. I was never aware of the intense preparation and practice that goes into putting on a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre. I was also intrigued at the materials the building was made out of and the fact that it resembled the old Globe Theatre as much as possible. I have always had a fascination with acting since I don’t have a creative side. It is so interesting to watch people put on a persona and become a whole different person while performing in a play. I find it so impressive when the plays are from Shakespeare’s time and the actors are able to convert themselves into old-fashioned personalities.

Although I had a very hard time following the play and understanding what was happening at each moment, I still enjoyed being there for the experience. My favorite part about attending this play was the fact that I was able to sit up in a high seating section, which allowed me to view the expressions of the audience throughout the theatre. This made my experience even more enjoyable because the reactions of the audience were so powerful and it completely changed my view of the play. However, I wish I had a better understanding of the actions as they were occurring. I had a very hard time following the deeper meanings behind what the characters were saying. Besides that minor setback, I was thrilled to have the pleasure of experience of watching Henry V in the Globe Theatre. Another aspect that I really enjoyed about the play was that the actors include the audience throughout the whole play, encouraging everyone to participate and become lively.

2. How convincing is the romance between Katherine and Henry in the final act? The romance between Katherine and Henry in the final act was very unconvincing. The actions of both characters made it seem as though they were both very sarcastic when it came to their passion. There was a large amount of sarcastic comments made during this scene regarding the feelings they shared between one another. When Katherine was attempting to learn English to speak to Henry, she seemed like she was not taking it seriously and as though she was mocking the whole situation. Henry also spoke in a sarcastic tone when it came to his romance with Katherine. For example, when the maid would tell Henry to leave, it seemed like he would almost start laughing and not take it seriously. Although I felt as though the romance was not very convincing, I still believe that they did have true feelings for each other.

3. Staging: write some general comments about how the play was staged: what stood out to you in terms of how things happened? I really enjoyed watching how the actors utilized the entire theatre. Not only do they involve all of the audience, but they also use the entire stage when acting. Although I didn’t have the pleasure of standing in the crowd while watching this play, I was still able to watch all the action that took place. My favorite part about being up in the seats was the fact that I could see all the actors when they would perform in the middle of the audience and see how all the people around would react to them. They also moved around the entire stage and went upstairs and well as all over the main stage. The actors utilized the props on stage to add emphasis to the divisional divide in power between the king, and his subjects. In the beginning of the play, when King Henry V was talking to the clergy he would stand at times, while the rest of the actors would sit. This made him appear taller, and more powerful than the rest of the actors, and helped emphasize that he was in power. When the king was presented with a chest full of tennis balls as an insult, he had someone else open the chest. This act showed that he was above the mere act of opening a gift from anyone.

4. Who was your favourite character and why? My favorite character was Catherine because the story of her marriage to Henry made the play somewhat happy in the midst of a war. Also, I think her eventual marriage at the end of the play was a plot twist in a way because of France and England’s conflict during the whole play. I also enjoyed her character because of her sarcastic humor, which provided comic relief during the play as well as how she represented the dynamic between France and England. It was very fascinating to me that such an intense conflict between two countries could be resolved around the actions of one person. The fact that Catherine spoke barely any English and spoke in French during the play made it difficult to understand her; however, her actions and personality made her character very likable because she helped add humor to the play.