# Constable of France — Henry V character guide

> Constable of France in Henry V by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Constable, Constable Marry, Constable Just

**First appearance:** 0017-act-iii-scene-v

## Snapshot

France's top military commander, proud of his country's might yet wary of the strange, hungry force advancing under Henry's banner.

## Who they are

The Constable leads France's army and speaks with the authority of a man who assumes his side's superiority, but his counsel carries an undercurrent of unease about the English king's 'native mightiness and fate.' He stands at the center of the French court's debate over how seriously to take Henry's claim, caught between the Dauphin's bluster and the king's caution. His presence gives the French war effort a face — confident, calculating, and increasingly aware that this campaign will not be won by reputation alone.

## In the story

### [Scene IV: The French Court Prepares for War](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/henry_v_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-iv)

The Constable corrects the Dauphin, praising Henry's hidden wisdom and resolve, comparing him to the Roman Brutus.

### [Scene V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/henry_v_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-v)

Urges immediate action against Henry, criticizes English climate and valor, and notes the English army's weakness.

### [Scene VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/henry_v_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-vii)

Boasts of his armor and horse, engages in proverbial sparring with the Dauphin and Orleans, and dismisses the English as lacking courage.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/henry_v_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-ii)

Confidently dismisses the English army as a 'poor and starved band' and urges immediate action.

### [Scene V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/henry_v_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-v)

Expresses despair and calls for a disordered charge to regain honor.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/henry_v_se/characters/constable_of_france
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/henry_v_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/henry_v_se/characters