ABSTRACT
William Shakespeare wrote during the Elizabethan Renaissance, a period of revived and intense interest in history. The Life of Henry the Fifth, written in 1599, one of Shakespeare's histories, is a patriotic, epic portrayal of a phase in the bloody Hundred Years' War between England and France. Medieval Kings of England, including Henry V, occasionally promulgated ordinances governing the conduct of war and severely punishing violators. Medieval English Kings, such as Richard II and Henry V, promulgated detailed proclamations and ordinances on war. In Henry V, Shakespeare wrote of a late medieval war fought between Catholic kings who were committed, at least in principle, to the medieval chivalric law of arms. Henry V promulgated ordinances on warfare not only to maintain the necessary discipline among his troops, but also to promote various humane practices. Henry's conduct may seem surprising, as medieval rules of war liberally allowed the taking of spoils.
