Instead, the king of France sends back three tennis balls, so that the young king can “learn to play.” (The gift of tennis balls also appears in Shakespeare’s Henry V and in film adaptations of it, including The King; the play and other versions of the story refer to a tun of tennis balls.)
Herein, why did Henry see the Dauphin’s gift of tennis balls as an insult?
But the Dauphin, who has heard stories about King Henry’s irresponsible teenage years, has sent tennis balls instead of anything valuable. The sarcastic spirit of this gift implies that the Dauphin considers the English king to be unworthy of an adult exchange.
Likewise, people ask, who said we are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us?
King Henry’s “We are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us” in Henry V.
Who compares Henry V to Alexander the pig?
Why did Henry V go to war with France?
In 1415, after nearly 25 years of delicate peace between England and France, King Henry V revived what is now known as the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). He wanted to reassert English claims to the crown of France and sovereignty over lands within France – as his great grandfather Edward III had done.
What happened to the French prisoners at Agincourt?
For modern observers, one of the best known and most notorious events during the battle of Agincourt is the massacre of at least some of the French prisoners by their English captors at the end of the first phase of fighting. These men had been taken captive after being defeated in the melee.
How does Henry respond to the tennis balls?
King Henry, with dignity and clarity, responds that he will go to France to play a match that will “dazzle all the eyes of France.” The tennis balls, he says, will be transformed into cannonballs, and many will “curse the Dauphin’s scorn.” Granting the ambassadors safe conduct, Henry bids them farewell.
Was Henry va a good king?
One of the most renowned kings in English history, Henry V (1387-1422) led two successful invasions of France, cheering his outnumbered troops to victory at the 1415 Battle of Agincourt and eventually securing full control of the French throne.
How does the Dauphin of France insult Henry?
The Dauphin insults Henry, making note of his past by claiming “that you savor too much of your youth” (1.2. 250). In other words, the Dauphin views him as an immature child, unfit to lay any claim to France. … To make a dig at his past before being crowned king is a wrong move on the Dauphin’s part.
What was the famous Shakespeare line about Henry V?
‘ Men of few words are the best men. That’s a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion. I think the king is but a man, as I am: the violet smells to him as it doth to me.