"Non Nobis Domine, Non Nobis"- "Henry V" Quiz

Answer: Chorus

"Let us, cyphers to this great account on your imaginary forces work, for it is your thoughts that must now deck our kings..."

The film opens with Jacobi walking slowly across a film set decorated with heraldic banners, arms, armours of the period and a plethora of modern film-making equipment whilst delivering his introduction and setting the scene for the events that are to unfold. The term chorus, in this context, is somewhat archaic and the role today would be described as that of a narrator.

Derek Jacobi was born in Leytonstone, London on the 22nd of October 1938. He made his debut on stage at the age of six in a production by his local drama group. Jacobi is considered to be one of the United Kingdom's finest proponents of Shakespearean theatre having performed in roles in productions of the plays 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Hamlet, Prince of Denmark' and 'The Tempest'. On television Jacobi played the title role in the acclaimed historical drama 'I, Claudius' and has appeared in the medieval detective series 'Cadfael', the drama 'Last Tango in Halifax' and the comedy 'Vicious'. Incidentally, Jacobi was a mentor for Kenneth Branagh in his early years as an actor. In 1994 Jacobi was knighted for services to British theatre.

Answer: Germany

We first encounter King Henry, played by Kenneth Branagh, in a palace antechamber where he is attended by his inner circle of senior nobles, the Archbishop of Canterbury, played by Charles Kay and the Bishop of Ely portrayed by Alec McCowen. The Archbishop, attempting to prevent the king from appropriating church property, has distracted the king's attention by encouraging him to make a claim for the throne of France and explains why the Salic law, which the French are using as a reason for blocking Henry's claim, should be disregarded.

It is in this scene that we are introduced to the king's closest and most trusted advisors; his uncle the Duke of Exeter, played by the wonderfully over-the-top actor Brian Blessed, and his cousins the Dukes of Bedford and York played by actors James Larkin and James Simmons respectively.

In addition the king is attended by three of his most trusted young knights played by Fabian Cartwright, Stephen Sims and Jay Villiers. The Salic law took its name from the Salii, a Frankish tribe that occupied the area of what is now northern Germany between the rivers Ijssel in the Netherlands in the West and the Elbe in the East.

In the earlier 1944 version of 'Henry V' the opening scene is performed as a comedy in complete contrast to its portrayal in this, the Branagh version.

Answer: Tennis balls

"Tennis balls, my liege..."

The French herald Montjoy, played by Christopher Ravenscroft, delivers his message from the Dauphin along with a tun, a small wooden box, of treasure; the tennis balls in question. Clearly angered, the well advised young English king considers his reply carefully.

"We are glad that the Dauphin is so pleasant with us, his present and your pains we thank you for," replies Henry. "When we have matched our racquets to these balls we will, in France, by God's grace play a set shall strike his father's crown into the hazard." Henry's response to his cousin's jibe leaves the French herald fearful for the future. As a young prince, Henry was said to have a reputation as a youth who enjoyed life to the full. The message that King Henry expects Montjoy to deliver back to the Dauphin is that he made good use of those days and that now, as king, that behaviour is firmly behind him. "Convey them with safe conduct," Henry instructs the three young knights in attendance, an order that he will live to regret in the near future.

Answer: Judi Dench

In this first scene of Act II, the English are beginning their preparations for the impending campaign in France; Mistress Quickly, played by actress Judi Dench, is the cause of discord between two of the film's principal supporting characters, Corporal Nym and Ancient Pistol. Judi Dench's first appearance in the film occurs on the morning after the celebrations of her wedding to Ancient Pistol, much to the chagrin of Corporal Nym, her former betrothed and Ancient Pistol's closest friend.

The friends are squabbling over Nell with Corporal Nym threatening to kill Pistol when the time is right.

Their superior, Lt Bardolph, tries to mediate between the pair but his pleas fall on deaf ears and an atmosphere of distrust exists between the two for the remainder of the story. For the eagle-eyed, also appearing in this scene is a young actor fresh from his role as Jim Graham in 'Empire of the Sun' and who went on to play the leading role in 'The Dark Knight', a certain young man called Christian Bale.

In this film he plays the role of Robin, Sir John Falstaff's attendant and one of the English army's luggage boys.

Answer: Robbie Coltrane

"When thou art King, banish Pistol, banish Bardolph, banish Nym... But sweet Jack Falstaff, valiant Jack Falstaff, banish not him from Harry's company. Banish plump Jack and banish all the world."

Much of this bawdy scene takes place in flashback. Good friend and confidant of Prince Henry, Sir John Falstaff, played by larger than life Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, is taken ill and dies shortly after being ostracised by the Prince, now King Henry V of England. In the earlier version of this tale, this scene was accompanied by a beautiful, albeit short, piece of music composed by William Walton, 'Touch her soft lips and part'. Robbie Coltrane, familiar with younger audiences for his role as Hagrid the Giant in the Harry Potter film series, was born in South Lanarkshire, Scotland on the 30th of March 1950 and was well known with British audiences as a comedian starring in the comedy shows 'A Kick up the Eighties' and 'The Comic Strip Presents' before performing in a minor role in his first major motion picture, 'Flash Gordon' in 1980.

In the original stage play, the character of Sir John Falstaff does not appear. In both the 1944 and 1989 productions of 'Henry V', the scenes in which Falstaff appears are borrowed from the plays 'Henry IV, Part 1' and 'Henry IV, Part 2' ostensibly to provide an insight into the character development of King Henry as an adult.

Answer: Southampton

"How now gentlemen... What see you in those papers that you lose so much complexion?"

The three knights who have become known historically as the Southampton Conspirators, were those tasked with escorting the French herald and his entourage back to France with safe conduct; Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge; Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham and Thomas Grey, Knight of Northumberland. In this scene which takes place in a room close to the docks in the port of Southampton, the king and his senior nobles, already aware of their treachery, present the traitors with their death warrants, confront and arrest the three hapless young men before the sentence of death is passed on them by the angry King Henry.

This entire scene was cut from the 1944 Sir Laurence Olivier version of the film as it was deemed bad for morale by featuring the betrayal of the king by his own trusted friends and nobles.

Answer: Greyhounds

This scene at the siege of the French port of Harfleur contains the first of three famous and oft quoted spoken passages with Kenneth Branagh in fine form.

"Stiffen up the sinews!" There are three famous speeches made by King Henry V in this film and this, at the siege of Harfleur, is the first. This scene also demonstrates the animosity felt between the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish at the time - clearly little has changed in the last 400 to 600 years or so; as the English lay siege to the town, their engineers who are tasked with mining the town walls, argue amongst themselves with the Welsh Captain Fluellen calling into question the abilities of his Irish colleague Captain MacMorris, played by actor and comedian John Sessions. The English have been beaten back once again from the breach that they have created through the town's walls and Henry makes one last desperate plea to rally his troops for the final assault. As the English advance the governor of Harfleur, played by Clive Swift of BBC sitcom 'Keeping up Appearances', addresses the English king from the battlements and informs him that their appeals for relief by the French Army have gone unheeded and that the town is now ready to surrender to the English.

Answer: Body parts

In anticipation of meeting her cousin Henry, to whom she has already been betrothed by her father, Catherine de Valois, played by Emma Thompson, discusses the names of body parts with her Lady-in-Waiting Alice, played by Geraldine McEwan in one of the film's lighter moments.

Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh were married on the 20th August 1989, just a few months before the filming for 'Henry V' began in October that year and was concluded during December. Emma Thompson has been described as a national treasure having featured in many successful film productions such as 'Howard's End' in 1992, 'The Remains of the Day' in 1993 and 'Sense and Sensibility' in 1995. More recently she has starred in the eponymous role in the fantasy comedy film series as Nanny McPhee.

The BAFTA award winning actress Geraldine McEwan enjoyed a long career in entertainment beginning in the early 1950s in Vaudeville which led to numerous roles on the stage. Between 2004 and 2008 McEwan enjoyed considerable success in the role of Agatha Christie's 'Miss Marple' in which she starred as the sleuth in a total of 12 episodes.

Answer: Calais

"Self-love my liege is not so vile a sin as self-neglecting!" hisses the Dauphin.

The French king has been reluctant to deploy his forces and engage the English but, after receiving the news of the fall of Harfleur and King Henry's continuing advance, the French monarch relents and eventually instructs the Constable of France Charles d'Albret, played by Canadian actor Richard Easton, and his senior nobles to meet with the English, engage them in battle and bring King Henry V to Rouen as a captive for ransom.

"Now forth Lord Constable and princes all, and quickly bring us word of England's fall!"

Answer: For the looting of a church

During the English withdrawal to Calais, Lt Bardolph, comrade and close friend of Corporal Nym and Ancient Pistol, succumbs to temptation and is caught looting a church for which he is sentenced to death by the Duke of Exeter. Ancient Pistol pleads for the life of his friend to Captain Fluellen, played by English actor Ian Holm, familiar as the android Ash in the original 'Alien' film, pleas which fall on deaf ears; "Look you" replies Captain Fluellen, "If he were my own brother I would desire the Duke to do his good pleasure and put him to execution!" Shortly afterwards, with the arrival of the king and the main body of the now retreating English army, the sad and subdued figure of Lieutenant Bardolph is executed by hanging.

Lieutenant Bardolph is played by the late actor Richard Briers who came to fame in the 1970s for his role as Tom Good in the long running and enormously successful BBC television self-sufficiency sitcom, 'The Good Life'.

Answer: Stars

"Will it never be day!" Whilst waiting for daybreak when they can begin to arm themselves, the Dauphin and his impatient and over-confident French nobles boast amongst themselves with regard to the quality of their horses and of their armours. "He is pure air and fire!" exclaims the Dauphin; and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him but only in patient stillness while his rider mounts him!"

The nobles present appear to hold any military prowess that the Dauphin possesses with scant regard although they all have the greatest respect for the Dauphin as a gallant gentleman. The Dauphin becomes irritated by the attitudes of the inferior nobles and when Montjoy asks the Lord Constable, "The armour that I saw in your tent tonight, are those stars or suns upon it?" The Constable replies "Stars, Montjoy," to which the Dauphin responds, "Some of them will fall tomorrow I hope..." "And yet my sky shall not want," retorts d'Albret; and with his final cutting remark ringing in their ears, the Dauphin leaves to arm himself for the forthcoming battle.

Answer: Standard bearer

The word 'Ancient' in this context is a corruption of the word 'Ensign', a rank somewhere between a modern commissioned officer and a senior NCO and Ancient Pistol had been employed as Sir John Falstaff's standard bearer before the death of the latter.

In this scene the English and French armies are encamped within earshot of each other. As the English soldiers contemplate their predicament, cold, hungry, exhausted and with sickness in their ranks, the king decides to patrol the camp in disguise. Borrowing a cloak from Sir Thomas Erpingham, Henry departs alone. During his patrol he first encounters Ancient Pistol who believes the king to be a Cornishman. When the king reveals that he is Welsh, Pistol gives him a message for Captain Fluellen, pouring scorn on his countryman for refusing to intervene on behalf of his hanged friend, Lt Bardolph. Moving on, the king gets into an argument with a small group of his soldiers over his ransoming... "I myself heard the king say that he would not be ransomed," spoke Henry; "Aye, he said so to make us fight cheerfully but when our throats are cut he may be ransomed and we none the wiser!" retorts one of his soldiers angrily.

Interestingly, the actor Michael Williams played his namesake in Henry V; a character of the same name invented all those centuries ago by Shakespeare himself.

Answer: St Crispin

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother be he ne'er so vile for today shall gentle his condition..."

Twins Crispin and Crispinian were martyred on the 25th of October 285 or 286CE by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. King Henry's speech to his troops before the Battle of Agincourt is considered by many to be one of history's most stirring rallying cries although the accuracy of what was said has been the subject of much conjecture...And dramatic licence! Unlike the 1944 version that was filmed in good weather, the battle scenes in this version are grittier and more realistic. Written records confirm that during the period leading up to the 25th of October 1415 there had been long periods of heavy rain and this, along with the terrain, forcing the French army into a bottleneck during their initial cavalry charge, was a major factor in the crushing defeat of the superior French force.

"He that shall live this day, and see old age, will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours and say, tomorrow is Saint Crispian: Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars and say, these wounds I had on Crispin's day."

Answer: The killing of the boys in the luggage.

Towards the end of the battle of Agincourt, a small band of French knights follow young Robin through the English defensive line and murder the attendants who look after the army's luggage, an early term for what would now be referred to as the rear echelon. The Welsh soldier, Captain Fluellen, is one of the first on the scene and speaks...

"Kill the boys in the luggage, 'tis expressly against the law of arms! 'Tis as arrant a piece of knavery, mark you now, as can be offer't!"

It is believed that this assault on the defenceless boys in the luggage during the Battle of Agincourt was a contributing factor in King Henry's decision to have those many hundreds of prisoners that the English army had taken up to this point, immediately put to the sword.

Answer: Gauntlet

The Battle of Agincourt is over and the English army is victorious. Ancient Pistol, the sole survivor of the group of friends, learns that his wife, Mistress Quickly, has passed away and his friend Corporal Nym has been killed by a French soldier whilst he was looting the dead.

During King Henry's foot patrol of the English camp on the night before the battle, he had become embroiled in an heated argument with one of his soldiers over the justness of (his) the king's cause, resulting in the soldier challenging the king to a duel should they both survive the fight on St. Crispin's Day. As the king leaves the battlefield he strikes the astounded soldier, Michael Williams, in the chest with the gauntlet that Williams had thrown down in front of the king the night before. With this the English depart the field with their dead, the king ordering the singing of the Latin hymn 'Non nobis domine', performed here by the actor and composer of the film soundtrack, Patrick Doyle.

The film ends with a meeting between the royal houses of France and England at which Henry and Catherine's marriage is confirmed. As the cameras pan back, Chorus recounts the events following that follow Henry's victory over the French at Agincourt and the eventual loss by England of all that they gained during the Hundred Years War.