St Crispin S Day Speech
How does Henry encourage his soldiers in the St Crispin’s speech?
Before the battle of Agincourt, all the English soldiers were really scared of battle because they were a much inferior and smaller army than the French. However, Henry cannot go to battle with such a demotivated army of soldiers, so he gives a speech to all of the present people, taking advantage of St Crispin’s day, to motivate them and encourage them into battle.
Henry starts his speech by saying that if they either win or not, it is good for England: ‘if we are marked to die, we are enough / to do our country loss; / and if to live, the fewer men, / the greater share of honour.’ This means that if they die, they are not enough to make a big loss for England; and, if they win, all of that great honour will be shared in that small ‘bunch’ of soldiers.
Also, he says that if they live, whenever it is St Crispin again, they will be proud of themselves: ‘then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars, /and say, “These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.”’ With this quote, he encourages his soldiers by telling them that in future years, on this day, the day of Crispin, they should roll up their sleeves and show everyone their scars and wounds with honour because they fought for England and they fought for the king. And, they can be even more proud because they were an inferior number.
Furthermore, Henry tells Westmoreland, and the rest of soldiers, that any soldier who wants to leave, can do so without been judged: ‘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. Also, on the last verse, Henry says that if they want to go home, he will pay for the journey. However, he tells them something if they stay: ‘we few, we happy few, we band of brothers; / for he today that sheds his blood with me/Shall be my brother;’ Here, Henry is telling them that to every single soldier that fights with him, he will consider his own
Before the battle of Agincourt, all the English soldiers were really scared of battle because they were a much inferior and smaller army than the French. However, Henry cannot go to battle with such a demotivated army of soldiers, so he gives a speech to all of the present people, taking advantage of St Crispin’s day, to motivate them and encourage them into battle.
Henry starts his speech by saying that if they either win or not, it is good for England: ‘if we are marked to die, we are enough / to do our country loss; / and if to live, the fewer men, / the greater share of honour.’ This means that if they die, they are not enough to make a big loss for England; and, if they win, all of that great honour will be shared in that small ‘bunch’ of soldiers.
Also, he says that if they live, whenever it is St Crispin again, they will be proud of themselves: ‘then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars, /and say, “These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.”’ With this quote, he encourages his soldiers by telling them that in future years, on this day, the day of Crispin, they should roll up their sleeves and show everyone their scars and wounds with honour because they fought for England and they fought for the king. And, they can be even more proud because they were an inferior number.
Furthermore, Henry tells Westmoreland, and the rest of soldiers, that any soldier who wants to leave, can do so without been judged: ‘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. Also, on the last verse, Henry says that if they want to go home, he will pay for the journey. However, he tells them something if they stay: ‘we few, we happy few, we band of brothers; / for he today that sheds his blood with me/Shall be my brother;’ Here, Henry is telling them that to every single soldier that fights with him, he will consider his own