The Globe Theater Foundation has provided this succinct summary:
This drama is one of the great history themed plays by William Shakespeare. King Henry IV has died and his son Prince Hal reigns. There is war with France and all of England backs the King. At the city of Harfleur, the King and his forces encounter strong resistance and King Hal rally's his forces with the patriotic rallying speech "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more..." England is united under Henry's leadership and win Harfleur. He then goes on to win the Battle of Agincourt and the French King surrenders. He offers Henry the hand of his daughter, Katherine of Valois, in marriage and unites England and France. After he marries Katherine, peace rules, and they have a son. However, after King Hal dies and his son becomes Henry VI war once again looms.
To do this through my lens of humor,
I'll need to gain a historical knowledge of Henry the V. What did Shakespeare's audience know at this time of the circumstances surrounding Henry the V? What jokes and innuendos would Shakespeare have planted (as we all know he did plant them) that would connect to the audience's understanding?
One of my classmates mentioned that a historical play through a humorous lens would be like a political cartoon. Sometimes we don't understand political cartoons because we're not caught up on politics. Hopefully I'll be well-versed not necessarily in all of Henry the V, but in what Shakespeare's audience would have known... which could very well be all of Henry the V. We shall see.
Here's a political cartoon, while we're on the subject. (:
... I have no idea what this means.
