President Trump and our Battle of Agincourt for America

“That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.”

— Henry V (Act 4, Scene 3 of the Shakespeare play)

Today, October 25 is Saint Crispin’s Day, a feast day in Catholicism which would be notable for few today if not for the speech William Shakespeare penned for Henry V in the play of the same name.

It is that speech where we get for example the English expressions “band of brothers” and “household words,” commonly used today.

Henry V’s Saint Crispin’s Day Speech may be the most powerful motivational speech ever given in the English language. Shakespeare, writing around the year 1599, has the King delivering it to the English army immediately prior to the Battle of Agincourt on October 25, 1415.

The tired and worn-down English troops were very pessimistic about facing a far larger French army, all of its soldiers fresh.

And then Henry V took the podium.

The rest, as they say, is history.

We wouldn’t want to make too much of comparisons between Donald Trump and Henry V since unhinged haters already try to falsely say this President wants to be King. But there are some remarkable similarities.

Like President Trump, Henry V was a charismatic and energetic leader who restored pride in his country. And as Trump already successfully accomplished for America during his first term, Henry V brought new respect for England on the world stage.

Of course living in the days when capitalism was still in its infancy, Henry V looked to conquering France for national sustenance. In contrast, when Trump was President, the booming economy he led helped nurture France and the rest of Europe.

And in further contrast to Henry V of course, more wars are the last thing on Donald Trump’s agenda.

Both men did have some fun in their youth, although unlike Trump, Henry V was a serious drinker, hanging out with the “commoners” in seedy East London taverns as Prince Harry in the years before he took the throne.

In fact, in the prequel play Henry IV, Shakespeare has Henry so calculating as to admit the rebellious prince routine is all just an act designed to encourage his enemies to underestimate him. He’s carefully planning a “reformation” from his bad boy reputation, one that will astound his critics and one day make him a better King.

“I’ll so offend, to make offense a skill,” Prince Harry confesses to one of his drinking chums.

I honestly don’t think Donald Trump has ever been that Machiavellian, but I absolutely do bet he can respect the political skill.

Both men also proved to be gifted orators, of course in Henry V’s case we mostly have to take Shakespeare’s word for it. But it’s no doubt quite accurate.

Just substitute some names in the text and President Trump is one of the few modern leaders who could legitimately deliver the Saint Crispin’s Day Speech today. His public speeches and rallies already contain some of the same themes and passion.

But you be the judge. The video below is “The Speech” scene from the 1989 movie version of Henry V starring the marvelous Kenneth Branagh in the title role.

Our challenge now of course is to bring our battle home with a Trump victory. “Perish the man whose mind is backward now.”

And then years from now when we recall November 5, 2024, we will all “stand a tip-toe when the day is named . . . [and] remember with advantages what feats [we] did that day.”