was something that came to a person as a result of their unselfish heroic deeds.

FALSTAFF: I like
not such grinning honor as Sir Walter hath: give me
life: which if I can save, so; if not, honor comes
unlooked for, and there's an end. [Henry IV, Part 1, 5.3.62-65]

On the battlefield before the Battle of Agincourt, one of Henry's military leaders, Westmoreland, wishes aloud that England had more soldiers for the battle. Henry explains to him how honor is more important than victory in the battle, or ultimate victory for England.

WESTMORELAND: O, that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work today.
KING HENRY: . . . No, my fair cousin.
If we are marked to die, we are enough
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honor. . . .
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honor
As one man more, methinks, would share from me [4.3.18-25, 33-35]

The word "hero" doesn't appears in Henry V, but heroism, like honor, is always on Henry's mind. For Henry, honor comes to a person, and glory comes to England, as a result of heroism. You can't have honor without behaving heroically.

Henry demonstrates to his army exactly what heroism is. Henry rouses his troops to bravely charge back into battle, and, despite overwhelming odds against military success, and against even emerging alive, Henry heroically charges into the battle himself.

KING HENRY: Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once
more . . .
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry “God for Harry, England, and Saint George!” [3.1.1-2, 36-37]

"Prince Hal" from Henry IV has matured into the brave and honorable King Henry in Henry V. In fact, the "wild" days of his youth prepared him for his finest hour: the Battle of Agincourt.

Henry lays the groundwork for this heroic victory by disguising himself and visiting his troops the night before the battle in order to get a feel for what his common soldiers are really feeling. This ability to interact with commoners, which he began back in the days when he drank and caroused with Falstaff, now helps him to be a compassionate leader.

He then inspires his troops with brave words:

But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage.

He heeds his own advice and doesn't hold back or try to save himself. He fights beside his troops valiantly. In fact, he is so caught up in the fighting that he doesn't even know at first that his army has won.

As the chorus expresses, Henry is an exemplary king. He shows heroism on the battlefield and honor in his mercy to the French. He also marries a French princess in order to unite the kingdoms.

Examining this play, you could make the argument that the character of Henry V is presented as a paragon of heroism. In the context of Henry V, heroism can be considered to be putting oneself in mortal danger to serve a larger cause. During the battles, we see how Henry leads from the front, exposing himself to the same dangers faced by those he orders into the fray. It is Henry who leads his outnumbered force "once more unto the breach." He does not stand safely at the back of the lines or stay in his castle back in England.

Henry is more than a bellicose leader of warriors. He has other heroic qualities, such as intelligence and cunning. While he might prefer to use his wiles to outwit his foe, he appears to recognize their limitations. When the time for heroic deeds on the battlefield comes, Henry understands that he and his soldiers must "imitate the action of the tiger."

As is the case with many of his heroic characters, Shakespeare provides Henry with some serious flaws. You might make the argument that Henry is too bloodthirsty. He is eager to make war with France over a perceived personal insult, which will undoubtedly result in the deaths of many of his loyal followers. Shakespeare also seems critical of Henry's order to execute the French prisoners after his victory at Agincourt.

However, Shakespeare still makes Henry out to be a hero of England. One aspect of this is his connection to the other social classes. Although he is their king and military commander, Henry repeatedly makes it a point not to elevate himself too high above those who would fight at his side. He regularly uses familiar terms with them, calling his soldiers "dear friends" and his "band of brothers." Much of the St. Crispin's Day speech is meant to inspire the soldiers by reminding them that they will be fighting side by side with their king, something that will forever elevate their station. Once again, Shakespeare appears to be commenting that a hero actually takes the same risks that they would ask of others.