The Battle of Agincourt - 25 October 1415. A decisive victory in the Hundred Years War. (Pronounced ˈædʒɪnkɔː(r) or "a-jinn-core")
The Hundred Years’ War was a discontinuous conflict between England and France that spanned two centuries. At issue was the question of the legitimate succession to the French crown as well as the ownership of several French territories.
A war that lasted that long is too complicated to explain in a blog post. (The link above is to Encyclopedia Britannica, does a fair job of summarizing.)
But people have believed it was worth remembering, including William Shakespeare.
610 years isn't exactly an auspicious anniversary, even if it ends in zero. But here we are.
By most contemporary accounts, the French army was also significantly larger than the English, though the exact degree of their numerical superiority is disputed. Common estimates place the English army at about 6,000, while the French army probably consisted of 20,000 to 30,000 men. This suggests that the French could have outnumbered the English 5 to 1. At least one scholar puts the French army at no more than 12,000, indicating that the English were out numbered 2 to 1. It seems clear, however, that the English were at a decided numerical disadvantage.
While my favorite version of the speech is from the 1994 Danny DeVito movie, Renaissance Man, the version embedded below is more complete.
This is the Band of Brothers Speech from Henry V as performed by Kenneth Branagh.
While it pains me to say so, this version by Kenneth Branagh from 1989 is one I actually like better than the 1944 version from Sir Laurence Olivier. I don't like the way plays were treated by the movie industry during the '40s, '50s or '60s. Everything had to be a spectacle. The worst example being A Man For All Seasons. If you have a chance to see a stage production, it is a wonderful play. I despise the movie.
And in case anyone is interested in the brothers, St. Crispin and St. Crispinian, here's a link.
Agreed, this is the better version. The whole movie is great
ReplyDeleteI once read that the 1944 movie version was downplayed by Sir Lawrence Olivier because Britain and the West were so war-weary that the director thought it best to depict a subdued King Henry. And I too appreciate the 1989 film version, for Brranagh's robust performance.
ReplyDeleteI guess I never considered the timing... Though making a movie about England prevailing against a numerically superior foe seems like it would work in 1944
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