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Act 3, Scene 6
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Henry V, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Kingship
Warfare
England
Appearances
Language
Summary
Analysis
That same night, the Constable, Lord Rambures, the Duke of Orléans, and the Dauphin talk together in the French camp. They are eager to fight the English and wish it were already morning. The Constable, Orléans, and the Dauphin brag about their armor and horses. Sexual innuendoes about horses abound. A messenger arrives and reports that the English are fifteen hundred paces from the French camp. The Constable, Orléans and Rambures pretend to pity the English, making fun of them for being foolish and “fat-brained.” They are convinced of a swift French victory the next day.
The French use boastful language to bolster their already-strong sense of confidence. The Dauphin and others articulate their view of England’s people as idiotic fools and sure losers. Yet, at the same time, their cocky, boyish behavior provides an implicit point of contrast with the English. Compared to the French soldiers, the English seem levelheaded and mature.
Themes
Literary Devices
