Henry V Lesson Plan

What role do women play in this Act?

This act features women more than any of the rest of the play. The chorus mentions Queen Elizabeth I, driving home that this play would have been implicitly written with contemporary politics and monarchy in mind. Catherine's sister, Queen Isabel, is vocal during the diplomatic negotiations. We learn from Pistol that "his Doll" is dead. Here he is likely referring to a prostitute, and students might reflect that there is no possibility in this play for this kind of character to have her own voice. Also, they might observe that Pistol's wife, Mistress Quickly, appeared briefly and then became a footnote to the action. The most important...