Henry V
Historical Records
Performance Records
Playlists in Philip Henslowe's diary
- Fol. 14 (Greg, I. 27)
ye 28 of novembʒ 1595 . . . . . . ne . . . Rd at harey the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iijli vj ye 2 of desembʒ 1595 Rd at harey the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxvs ye 8 of desembʒ 1595 —————— Rd at hary the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxxiijs ye 16 of desembʒ 1595 Rd at hary the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxivs ye 28 of desembʒ 1595 Rd at harye the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lvjs ye 5 of Jenewary 1595 140-1[0]1-0d
Rd at harey the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxvjs
- Fol. 14v (Greg, I. 28)
ye 19 of Jenewary 1595 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rd at harye the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxs ye 5 of febreary 1595 Rd at harye the 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviijs
- Fol. 15v (Greg 1.30):
ye 24 of aprell 1596 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rd at hary the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvs ye 26 of maye 1596 Rd at hary the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiijs
- Fol. 21v (Greg 1.42)
ye 17 of June 1596 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rd at hary the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxvijs ye 10 of July 1596 Rd at harye the v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiiijs ye 15 of July 1596 Rd at hary v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxijs
Theatrical Provenance
This "Henry V" was performed at the Rose playhouse by the Admiral's men throughout the season of 1595-6; its thirteen performances earning a 30s return to Henslowe on average.
Probable Genre(s)
History
Harbage
Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues
No doubt the play was based on historical information in the standard histories of the day, the most ubiquitous of which was Holinshed's Chronicles.
References to the Play
None known.
Critical Commentary
This "Henry V" as an old play
Malone "suppose[d]" that the Admiral's play was The Famous Victories of Henry the fifth: Containing the Honorourable Battell of Agin-court, which was registered at Stationers' Hall on 14 May 1594 and published in 1598 with a title-page advertisement of ownership by the Queen's men. Malone was thus giving Famous Victories a revival some ten years after its debut (which occurred perhaps in 1585; William Knell is said to have played the part of Prince Hal [McMillin and MacLean, p. 196]).
Collier declared that the "harey the v" first played on 28 November 1595 "was a new play." But then he confused the issue by referring the reader to p. 26 in his edition of the diary, where he said there was "a notice of the representation of another play, called Henry V" for 14 May 1592. Collier is here (apparently) referring to a play Henslowe recorded as "harey the vj" on fifteen dates in the spring of 1592 as having been performed by Lord Strange's men (see Collier, p.. 26, n.1). Although snidely noting that Malone took "no notice of this play," Collier himself was the one making the error, if subsequent editors of the diary may be trusted: Greg, and Foakes and Rickert, read the title of the play performed by Lord Strange's men at the Rose on 14 May 1592 as "harey the 6" ([[WorksCited|Greg, I, 14; [[WorksCited|Foakes, p. 18).
equivocated after mentioning a later "Henry V" in Henslowe's lists, saying "it may be doubted whether this or that was the drama printed under the title of The famous Victories of Henry V." Not really making his identifications clearer, he added "it must have been the former, because it was entered to be printed in 1594, whereas "Harey the v" was not acted until 28th Nov. 1595." Collier raises the possibility that one or more of these "Henry" plays "was Shakespeare's Henry V," but he didn't make a case for that identification either beyond acknowledging the popularity of the piece Henslowe listed for a lengthy and well-attended run in November 1595 (p. 61, n.1).
Gurr
This "Henry V" as a new play
For What It's Worth
If this play was indeed a discrete dramatization of the exploits of King Henry V of England, its receipts may provide insight into the profit the Queen's men had expected of their Famous Victories of Henry V" in the 1580s and the Chamberlain's men were to expect of their Henry the V in 1599.
Works Cited
Site created and maintained by Roslyn L. Knutson, Professor Emerita, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; 9 February 2021.