Making England Great Again
"Make America Great Again," or MAGA, has become a particularly polarizing phrase in the United States over the last few years. While it arouses feelings of patriotism for some, it brings out feelings of resentment in others. While reflecting on this phrase, I started to notice that there are actually many similarities between Donald Trump and Henry V. Not only have both leaders gained tremendous amounts of popularity (whether positive or negative) in their respective positions, but both men followed similar life tracks and possess similar qualities.
To begin, we will start with their lives before "the office," or "the throne." Although Henry V never gives the reader a direct glimpse into Henry's life before he became king, Shakespeare makes many allusions to his previous play, Henry IV, which all audiences of the time would have previously seen. From these glimpses into Henry's life before becoming king, we learn that he was a partier; he was essentially the epitome of an irresponsible teenager. Henry frequented bars and immersed himself in their drinking, loving, and cussing culture. In Act 1, Scene 1, Henry's advisors describe this unruly lifestyle: "[H]is addiction was to courses wain, his companies unlettered, ruse, and shallow, his hours filled up with riots, banquets, and sports" (lines 54-56). It was not until he came into his position as king that he matured and began to take life matters more seriously, but even through Henry V we still see glimpses of his old youthful, joking nature.
Already, we can begin to see connections to the life of our own president before he came into the office. Trump is notorious for his lifestyle before the presidency; it was a even point of contention in his campaign at many points. He had love affairs with many different women, he has had multiple sexual misconduct allegations made against him, and he is known for his blunt (and sometimes inappropriate) language. Like Ely and Canterbury in Henry V, many voters wondered if Trump would turn away from his "childish" ways when he was elected into the presidency.
Although both leaders came from questionable backgrounds, they came into their positions of power with undoubting beliefs in the goodness of their countries. Throughout the play, Henry V rallies a sense of nationalism in his troops during their battle against France. In his famous "St. Crispin's Day Speech", he stirs up this national pride in his troops: "And you, good yeomen, whose limbs were made in England, show us here the mettle of your pasture; let us swear that you are worth your breeding- which I doubt not [...] Cry, 'God for Harry! England and Saint George!'" (3.2. 26-31, 37). In all of his speech, it is clear that Henry holds the belief that his country is inherently good.
This same sense of nationalism is also very apparent in Trump's political stances. The phrase that decorates all of his campaign banners, hats, T-Shirts, etc. is "Make America Great Again." This statement, although actually borrowed from Ronald Reagan, already reveals the pride he has in his nation. It suggests that America has been good in its past, and that it can and will continue to be good through the work of its people. In his State of the Union Address in 2018, he praised the exceptionality of America: "Over the last year, the world has seen what we always knew: that no people on Earth are so fearless, or daring, or determined as Americans. If there is a mountain, we climb it. If there is a frontier, we cross it. If there is a challenge, we tame it. If there is an opportunity, we seize it" (Trump). In the same way Henry boasts in England in his "St. Crispin's Day Speech," Trump displays the immense amount of pride he has in his country. Both leaders hold firm beliefs that their countries are exceptional and worth fighting for.
Another similarity between the two men is their tendency to protect their massive egos. Almost the entire plot of Henry V is centered around the war between England and France. Entering the war was a defensive move to protect Henry's pride, after it had been damaged by the tennis balls sent to him from the Dauphin. The gift of the tennis balls was meant to symbolize Henry's lack of maturity and qualifications in receiving the throne. After the appearance of this unwanted gift, Henry declares that they shall take up their tennis racquets in France and play a game that will "strike his father's crown into the hazard" (1.2. 274). These rash actions point to a desire in Henry to protect his personal pride.
Although the protection of a personal ego has not launched our country into war yet, Trump has acted in many ways that demonstrate his tendency to protect his pride. One situation that most clearly exemplifies this characteristic of Trump is the interactions between himself and Kim Jong Un from North Korea. In the midst of the tension between North Korea and the U.S., Kim Jong Un stated in his annual New Year's Day Address in 2018 that there is a "nuclear button on [his] desk all the time" (ncnk.org). This statement by Kim Jong Un insinuated that the U.S. should be in a state of constant watchfulness for an attack by North Korea. Naturally, this display of power on the part of North Korea prompted a defensive retaliation from Trump. However, his defensive move did not come from the attack of knights and swords on the battlefield; it came in the form of a 280 character-limited post on Twitter. Trump fought the battle for his own pride and his nation's pride through this famous tweet: "North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the "Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times." Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" (@realDonaldTrump).
Despite the hundreds of years that exist between the two leaders, there are undoubtedly many similarities that exist between Henry V and Donald Trump. They are alike in their lifestyles before they were put into positions of power, the way they each promote a sense of nationalism in their countries, and in how they each seek to protect their own egos. It seems plausible to me that Henry V could have shouted the very words, "Make England Great Again," as a battle cry, based on how similar every other aspect of his life was to Donald Trump's.
Jong Un, Kim. “Kim Jong Un’s 2018 New Year Address.” The National Committee of North Korea. 1 Jan. 2018, https://www.ncnk.org/node/1427.
@realDonaldTrump. “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!” Twitter, 2 Jan. 2018, 4:49 p.m., https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/948355557022420992?lang=en
Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare: Histories. Edited by Stephen Greenblatt et al., W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.
Trump, Donald J. "President Donald J Trump's State of the Union Address." The White House. 30 Jan. 2018, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trumps-state-union-address/.
To begin, we will start with their lives before "the office," or "the throne." Although Henry V never gives the reader a direct glimpse into Henry's life before he became king, Shakespeare makes many allusions to his previous play, Henry IV, which all audiences of the time would have previously seen. From these glimpses into Henry's life before becoming king, we learn that he was a partier; he was essentially the epitome of an irresponsible teenager. Henry frequented bars and immersed himself in their drinking, loving, and cussing culture. In Act 1, Scene 1, Henry's advisors describe this unruly lifestyle: "[H]is addiction was to courses wain, his companies unlettered, ruse, and shallow, his hours filled up with riots, banquets, and sports" (lines 54-56). It was not until he came into his position as king that he matured and began to take life matters more seriously, but even through Henry V we still see glimpses of his old youthful, joking nature.
Already, we can begin to see connections to the life of our own president before he came into the office. Trump is notorious for his lifestyle before the presidency; it was a even point of contention in his campaign at many points. He had love affairs with many different women, he has had multiple sexual misconduct allegations made against him, and he is known for his blunt (and sometimes inappropriate) language. Like Ely and Canterbury in Henry V, many voters wondered if Trump would turn away from his "childish" ways when he was elected into the presidency.
Although both leaders came from questionable backgrounds, they came into their positions of power with undoubting beliefs in the goodness of their countries. Throughout the play, Henry V rallies a sense of nationalism in his troops during their battle against France. In his famous "St. Crispin's Day Speech", he stirs up this national pride in his troops: "And you, good yeomen, whose limbs were made in England, show us here the mettle of your pasture; let us swear that you are worth your breeding- which I doubt not [...] Cry, 'God for Harry! England and Saint George!'" (3.2. 26-31, 37). In all of his speech, it is clear that Henry holds the belief that his country is inherently good.
This same sense of nationalism is also very apparent in Trump's political stances. The phrase that decorates all of his campaign banners, hats, T-Shirts, etc. is "Make America Great Again." This statement, although actually borrowed from Ronald Reagan, already reveals the pride he has in his nation. It suggests that America has been good in its past, and that it can and will continue to be good through the work of its people. In his State of the Union Address in 2018, he praised the exceptionality of America: "Over the last year, the world has seen what we always knew: that no people on Earth are so fearless, or daring, or determined as Americans. If there is a mountain, we climb it. If there is a frontier, we cross it. If there is a challenge, we tame it. If there is an opportunity, we seize it" (Trump). In the same way Henry boasts in England in his "St. Crispin's Day Speech," Trump displays the immense amount of pride he has in his country. Both leaders hold firm beliefs that their countries are exceptional and worth fighting for.
Another similarity between the two men is their tendency to protect their massive egos. Almost the entire plot of Henry V is centered around the war between England and France. Entering the war was a defensive move to protect Henry's pride, after it had been damaged by the tennis balls sent to him from the Dauphin. The gift of the tennis balls was meant to symbolize Henry's lack of maturity and qualifications in receiving the throne. After the appearance of this unwanted gift, Henry declares that they shall take up their tennis racquets in France and play a game that will "strike his father's crown into the hazard" (1.2. 274). These rash actions point to a desire in Henry to protect his personal pride.
Although the protection of a personal ego has not launched our country into war yet, Trump has acted in many ways that demonstrate his tendency to protect his pride. One situation that most clearly exemplifies this characteristic of Trump is the interactions between himself and Kim Jong Un from North Korea. In the midst of the tension between North Korea and the U.S., Kim Jong Un stated in his annual New Year's Day Address in 2018 that there is a "nuclear button on [his] desk all the time" (ncnk.org). This statement by Kim Jong Un insinuated that the U.S. should be in a state of constant watchfulness for an attack by North Korea. Naturally, this display of power on the part of North Korea prompted a defensive retaliation from Trump. However, his defensive move did not come from the attack of knights and swords on the battlefield; it came in the form of a 280 character-limited post on Twitter. Trump fought the battle for his own pride and his nation's pride through this famous tweet: "North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the "Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times." Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" (@realDonaldTrump).
Despite the hundreds of years that exist between the two leaders, there are undoubtedly many similarities that exist between Henry V and Donald Trump. They are alike in their lifestyles before they were put into positions of power, the way they each promote a sense of nationalism in their countries, and in how they each seek to protect their own egos. It seems plausible to me that Henry V could have shouted the very words, "Make England Great Again," as a battle cry, based on how similar every other aspect of his life was to Donald Trump's.
Jong Un, Kim. “Kim Jong Un’s 2018 New Year Address.” The National Committee of North Korea. 1 Jan. 2018, https://www.ncnk.org/node/1427.
@realDonaldTrump. “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!” Twitter, 2 Jan. 2018, 4:49 p.m., https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/948355557022420992?lang=en
Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare: Histories. Edited by Stephen Greenblatt et al., W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.
Trump, Donald J. "President Donald J Trump's State of the Union Address." The White House. 30 Jan. 2018, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trumps-state-union-address/.
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