he was a true Machiavellian prince or if he was not someone Machiavelli would consider a natural born prince. To effectively rate Henry’s rule though, it must first be understood what the methods, techniques, and general procedures were for a true Machiavellian prince. According to Machiavelli, the ideal prince should be ruthless and willing to abandon the popular sense of morality in order to best suit his needs. Princes should not allow themselves to be restricted by any principle other then what he believes is proper to deal with whatever issues he may face during his reign. He must be willing to enter into evil during times of extraordinary circumstances, “For a man who wants to make a profession of good in all regards must come to ruin among so many who are not good. Hence it is necessary to a prince, if he wants to maintain himself, to learn to be able not to be good, and to use this and not use it according to necessity.” (The Prince, 61) This knowledge, as well as the proper use of such evils, will allow a prince to be an effective and lasting ruler among his people, even during times of conflict. Another important habit of a good prince is the constant reading and preparation for the inevitable occurrence of war. “Therefore, he should never lift his thoughts from the exercise of war, and in peace he should exercise it more than in war” (The Prince, 59). A prince must constantly be reading and practicing tactics and battle strategies for future conflicts. He must do this through the modes of his body and his mind. Through his body, he must keep his armies well maintained and ready, as well as hunting in order to strengthen his own body against hardships. He must also always be taking inventory of his supplies during hunts, as well as keeping a close eye on the terrains he can find within his own kingdom, and using this to learn the basic nature of terrains. Using this knowledge, he will better be able to defend his lands in case of attack, or to apply this to similar terrains in the enemy’s territories. Concerning his mind, “…a prince should read histories and consider in them the actions of excellent men, should see how they conducted themselves in wars, should examine the causes of their victories and losses, so as to be able to avoid the latter and imitate the former.” (The Prince, 60). Using both of these principles, the prince puts himself in favorable position to enter into war, and as such allows himself the opportunity to keep his empire. Above all, a prince must learn that war is not to be feared by the prince. In fact, it is to be embraced as an opportunity either to maintain their current power base or to expand it further. To a true Machiavellian prince, war is nothing more than a tool, used to their benefit as they see fit. Henry the fifth, through his campaign into France, applies these rules to his own war. In presenting the protagonist, Henry V’s predominant concern is the nature of leadership and how morality, if at all, affects this nature.
The play puts forth the idea that a great ruler might not be what many would consider a good person. Henry is an extraordinarily good leader: he is intelligent, focused, and inspiring to his men. He uses all of the resources at his disposal to ensure that he is victorious. Henry’s charismatic personality allows him to connect with his subjects and motivate them to fight for him, and follow him as their true and undeniable king. However, in becoming a great king, the reader begins to see a much darker side to Henry. He must become a leader to his people and lead them towards the best possible future, and if that entails his own moral character becoming tarnished, Henry is more than willing to get his hands dirtied in the name of his country. In order to strengthen the roots of this kingdom, Henry must betray some of his friends, such as Falstaff, and he must even allow the execution of his childhood friend Bardolph in order to uphold the laws that govern his kingdom, all the while keeping a mask of indifference to his people. This willingness to enter into evil is present in Henry’s cruel treatment of Bardolph. His willingness to threaten the governor with the gruesome murders of the men, women, and children of Harfleur if they did not surrender shows a deep and understood willingness to commit atrocious acts. He is willing to condone and …show more content…
even instigate wartime atrocities and crimes in order to achieve his goal.
Above all, and quite possibly one of the most important rules for any conquering prince, is Machiavelli’s rule regarding spoils of war.
When a nation, state, or town is taken from their original owners, the conquering prince must make sure to leave alone their laws, their taxes, and their women. In order to better assure that the population of the acquired territories will not attempt a rebellion against the prince, a prince must make sure to keep the land mostly unharmed, and the non-combating populace unharmed in order to keep hatred from arising among the people. Henry, as displayed after his acquisition of Harfleur, places a rule among the soldiers that under no circumstances are they to partake in stealing, destroying, or defiling any of the French people or their possessions. “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, nothing taken but paid for; none of the French upbraided or abused in disdainful language; for when lenity and cruelty play for a kingdom, the gentler gamester is the soonest winner.” (3.6.62-63) Henry shows great wisdom, the kind that Machiavelli would very much approve of, in his campaign across France, and does an exemplary thorough job of ensuring his future control of the French territories after his
victory.
King Henry the fifth, by way of these virtues being exemplified throughout the play, was most definitely a ruler that followed the ideals and rules set by Machiavelli. He is a kind and just ruler, and loved by his people, able to inspire them to perform such amazing feats as his victory over the French in the Battle of Agincourt “Quote here”. His willingness and control over his rise and fall into evil, as well as his policies regarding his campaign against the French, both his tactics, preparation, and policies regarding the conquered French, all fall in line with the basic rules that Machiavelli sets for future princes. And even though in the grand scheme of history Henry might not be remembered as a founder, much as he would have liked given his plans regarding his son, he still, using the same general rules set by Machiavelli, did nearly succeed in creating the union of both the English and French empires.
And so, we can see that the lessons that Machiavelli, in regards to war, are to be dedicated to the study, and preparation for war, the willingness to enter into evil during times of extraordinary circumstances, as well as the proper educate towards those that you have conquered. These traits, as shown throughout Henry V, are present in the methods used by Henry during the war. In this, Henry does use the methods set forth by Machiavelli through his application of such techniques towards his soldiers, and against the French enemy.