One frequent theme in Shakespeare’s plays is the extent to which people must be actors, both in the sense of people who perform an action and in the sense of people who imitate others, who play a role other than their essential nature. Consider the ways in which Henry has some qualities of an actor, and is conscious of the extent to which he must appear other than what he is.
Again in this reading we see how Shakespeare leavens this play with healthy doses of comedy, whether in the scene with the Welsh, Irish, and Scots officers, the one with Katherine attempting to learn English from her attendant Alice, or with any appearance of Pistol. Yet all of these scenes are more than comic relief. Examine any of these scenes and discuss what purposes it serves other than comedy.
The night before battle, Henry walks among his men in disguise. He wants to get a sense of their mood, of what they think of him, and thus of what he needs to do to prepare them for the next day. Though at one point earlier he has claimed that the title of soldier fits him better than any other — which logically includes King — he is not a common soldier, as this scene proves. He miscalculates. He makes some incorrect assumptions, and as a result some of his arguments fall flat. Explain the flaws in his thinking, and what he must learn if he is to lead his beleaguered army to victory.