Henry V Ethical Analysis

It has never been agreed upon that life is an absolute right, but only that death is the absolute outcome. Philosophers call it a prima facie right, this right gets forfeited in actions such as aggravated murder, abortion, physician-assisted suicide, and other heinous crimes. However, the great western powers are on sure footing when it comes to this type of permitted murder, but a just war doesn’t make a total war acceptable. Williams Shakespeare’s play Henry V is loosely based upon England’s own ethical dilemmas in the early 1400’s. This is especially true when conflicting governments go into a war just because one side believes themselves to be in a just war the other may not.

This is true when looking at Henry V’s values. Like many, values
Scroop was one of Henry V’s closest friends before he was put in power, Scroop had started to see King Henry V as unstable and joined a coup against his life. “What shall I say to thee, Lord Scroop, thou cruel, Ingrateful, savage, and inhuman creature…”(scene 2 act 2) The King is absolutely infuriated at the fact that Scroop would turn against him in such a treasonous way later Scrope begs for his life, but the merciless Henry V has no patience for such treachery and sentences Scroop and the other two traitors to execution under arrest of high treason. Bardolph, a commoner, also faces the King's wrath when he is sentenced to be hanged for petty theft. “We would have all such offenders so cut off, and we give express charge that in our marches through the country there be nothing compelled from the villages… the gentler gamester is the soonest winner.”(Act 3 scene 6) Bardolph was a common thief that Henry V chose to make an example of, but mercy was not the deciding factor in this decision he believes by not harassing the french he will more easily win the war, the loss of the war seen as greater than the loss of a