The Characters

Katharine of Valois

King Henry V

King Henry has just won a decisive victory at the Battle of Agincourt. He is now claiming the crown of France, and Katherine’s hand in marriage. Though he’s proven himself an able soldier and a wise king, he repeatedly stumbles when trying to win Katherine’s heart.

The Text:

Henry V: Fair Katharine, and most fair,
Will you agree to teach a soldier terms
Such as will enter at a lady’s ear
And plead his love-suit to her gentle heart?

Katharine: Your majesty shall mock at me; I cannot speak your England.

Henry V: O fair Katharine, if you will love me soundly with
your French heart, I will be glad to hear you
confess it brokenly with your English tongue. Do
you like me, Kate?

Katharine: Pardonnez-moi, I cannot tell vat is ‘like me.’

Henry V: An angel is like you, Kate, and you are like an angel.

Katharine: O bon Dieu! les langues des hommes sont pleines de
tromperies.

Henry V: What say you, fair one? that the tongues of men
are full of deceits?

Katherine: Oui, dat de tongues of de mans is be full of
deceits:

Henry V: Kate, my wooing is fit for thy understanding: I am
glad thou canst speak no better English; for, if
thou couldst, thou wouldst find me such a plain king that thou wouldst think I had sold my farm to buy my crown. I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say ‘I love you:’ I have no strength in measure, yet a reasonable
measure in strength. If I could win a lady at
leap-frog, or by vaulting into my saddle with my
armour on my back, I should quickly leap into a wife.
I speak to thee plain soldier: If thou canst
love me for this, take me: take
me; and take me, take a soldier; take a soldier,
take a king. And what sayest thou then to my love?
speak, my fair, and fairly, I pray thee.

Katharine: Is it possible dat I sould love de enemy of France?

Henry V: No; it is not possible you should love the enemy of
France, Kate: but, in loving me, you should love
the friend of France; for I love France so well that
I will not part with a village of it; I will have it
all mine: and, Kate, when France is mine and I am
yours, then yours is France and you are mine.

Katharine: I cannot tell vat is dat.

Henry V: No, Kate? I will tell thee in French; Je quand sur le possession de France, et quand
vous avez le possession de moi,—let me see, what
then? Saint Denis be my speed!—donc votre est
France et vous etes mienne. It is as easy for me,
Kate, to conquer the kingdom as to speak so much
more French: I shall never move thee in French,
unless it be to laugh at me!

Katharine: Sauf votre honneur, le Francois que vous parlez, il
est meilleur que l’Anglois lequel je parle.

Henry V: No, faith, is’t not, Kate: But, Kate, dost thou
understand thus much English: canst thou love me?

Katharine: I cannot tell.

Henry V: How answer you, la plus belle Katharine du monde, mon tres cher
et devin deesse?

Katharine: Your majestee ave fausse French enough to deceive de
most sage demoiselle dat is en France.

Henry V: Now, fie upon my false French! By mine honour, in true English, I love thee, Kate: by which honour I dare not swear thou lovest me; yet my blood begins to flatter me that thou dost, Put off your maiden blushes; avouch the
thoughts of your heart with the looks of an empress;
take me by the hand, and say ‘Harry of England I am thine:’ I will tell thee ‘England is
thine, Ireland is thine, France is thine, and Harry
Plantagenet is thine;’
Come, your answer in broken music; for thy voice is music and thy English broken; therefore, queen of all, Katharine, break thy mind to me in broken
English; wilt thou have me?

Katharine: Dat is as it sall please de roi mon pere.

Henry V: Nay, it will please him well, Kate it shall please
him, Kate.

Katharine: Den it sall also content me.

Henry V: Upon that I kiss your hand, and I call you my queen. [she shakes her head ‘no’ and kisses him on the lips]
You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate: there is
more eloquence in a sugar touch of them than in the
tongues of the French council; Here comes your father.

Context

The initial awkwardness between Henry and Katherine is what makes the scene endearing; the notion that to Henry, conquering France is easier than wooing Kate. He’s repeatedly at a loss for words, and refuses to flatter or flirt with Katherine. He either is incapable of wooing in “festival terms,” or he wants Katherine to love him for who he is.

For Katherine’s part, at first, she seems indifferent to Henry, if not outright resistant to his love suit. As she says, “Is it possible that I should love the enemy of France?” Henry’s awkward wooing is not the only barrier to Katherine’s heart – he also killed hundreds of her countrymen and aims to take her father’s crown. It’s entirely possible that Katherine sees Henry as her enemy. The biggest question is- does she actually fall in love with him? Henry is charming, so it’s not impossible that Katherine’s feelings are genuine. It’s also possible that Katherine is actually interested in becoming queen to keep her father’s lands and titles in the family through marriage.

Interpretations

Questions To Ask:

1. Is Henry really being awkward, or is this a front?
2. Does Henry love Kate, or is he being political?
3. Is Kate in love with him? If so, when and why does she fall for him?
4. If Kate never falls for Henry, why does she agree to marry him?