Henry as the Sun
In Act Four, just before the Battle of Agincourt, the Chorus explains how Henry comforts and inspires his weary men. They say, "A largess universal, like the sun, / His liberal eye doth give to everyone, / Thawing cold fear" (4.1). Here, the Chorus uses a simile to compare Henry to the sun, emphasizing his warmth as he moves among his men.
War as Tennis
After the Dauphin insults Henry by sending him a crate of tennis balls to suggest he is unfit to rule, Henry replies using an extended metaphor in which he compares war to a tennis match. He says, "When we have matched our rackets to these balls, / We will in France, by God's grace, play a set / Shall strike his father's crown into the hazard" (1.2). Here, Henry showcases his transformation into a clever and ruthless monarch by turning the Dauphin's jest into a serious, high-stakes declaration of war.
Henry's Transformation
In the first act of the play, the Bishop of Canterbury describes the swiftness of Henry's transformation from a reckless youth to a strong leader. He says, "Yea, at that very moment / Consideration like an angel came / And whipped th’ offending Adam out of him, / Leaving his body as a paradise / T’ envelop and contain celestial spirits" (1.1). Here, the Bishop uses a simile to compare "Consideration" (or wisdom) to an angel that cleanses Henry of his "sins" of his past and prepares him to rule.
English as Bastardized French
The Dauphin refers to historical precedent when he insults the English by saying, " shall a few sprays of us, / The emptying of our fathers’ luxury, / Our scions, put in wild and savage stock, / Spurt up so suddenly into the clouds / And overlook their grafters?" (3.5). Here, the Dauphin uses a metaphor comparing Englishmen to "sprays" of Frenchmen, referring to the fact that the ancestors of the English were the Normans, who invaded England in 1066.
The Lion
In a rousing speech to his men in Act Three, Henry tells them that in times of war, men was dispel with humility and instead become like the predatory lion. He says, "Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, / Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage" (3.1). Here, Henry uses the metaphor of the lion to rally his men into a frenzy so that they have strength and determination enough to win the Battle of Harfleur.
