Short-Answer Quizzes: Act V, Prologue
Study Questions
1. What geographic locales are mentioned in the Prologue?
2. What is a whiffler?
3. What does the metaphor of a whiffler refer to here?
4. What do Henry’s “bruised helmet and bent sword” signify?
5. What do his advisors want Henry to do with these objects?
6. What is his answer to them? Why?
7. Why does Henry delay in taking over the French throne?
8. To whom or what are the London mayor and citizens compared?
9. What does Henry’s rejection of glory tell us about him?
10. Why did Shakespeare not stage the homecoming scene?
Answers
1. Calais, the English beach, London (Blackheath), and France are mentioned.
2. This is a person who prepares the way for a king or queen.
3. It refers to the crowds on the English beach, welcoming Henry home.
4. They signify his bravery and ruggedness in battle.
5. They want Henry to present them to the people as tokens of victory.
6. He refuses, saying the credit should go to God.
7. France is undergoing a period of national mourning for their army’s defeat.
8. They are compared to the senators and plebians of classical Rome.
9. It shows his humility and piety in giving God credit for the victory.
10. The stage could probably not do justice to such a large, overwhelming event.
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