Examine how historical fiction in drama and film comments upon and reflects their own

contexts, offering enduring insights into society.

Historical films and plays are like a time capsule. They allow a comprehensive look into the
past, whilst revealing insights that are relevant to us today. Shakespeare’s historical play
Henry V, and Peter Weir’s 2003 film Master and Commander draw on their own societal
contexts, highlighting how gender roles are influenced by the intentions of people with the
most cultural cachet, and how effective leaders reflect their society’s values to motivate
them, hence offering enduring insights into society.

Historical fiction in drama and film reveals how the nature of gender roles are constructed
by the agendas of those possessing the most cultural cachet, highlighting the evolution of
these roles throughout time. Henry V was characterised by a patriarchal society since the
masculine traits of strength, honour and dominance were heavily desired, to fight and win
the war in the 1400s. In his threat to the governor of Harfleur, Henry V draws on the
historical narrative of the time that women are weak and controllable, in shaping his speech,
by feminising Harfleur through “til in her ashes she lie buried”. By personifying Harfleur as a
woman, he masculinises himself to show his superiority. In addition, the dramatic
monologue expresses his violent intentions that he wishes to inflict upon Harfleur, rooted
from his toxic masculine beliefs of his society. Femininity is further degraded throughout the
play, specifically, where Henry objectifies women as “capital demand”. The metaphor reveals
how Katherine is viewed as property part of the negotiation between England and France,
highlighting the hegemonic nature of masculinity during the Elizabethan era, which was
reinforced for the purpose of encouraging war efforts. Conversely, the early 2000s saw a
shift, where ruling powers had less grasp on the culture and independent media began to
have greater influence. This resulted in less rigid gender roles for men, encouraging them to
express their emotions and to have more positive relationships with each other. Master and
Commander reflects this, as the care Aubrey and Dr Maturin express to each other is
portrayed through the cut-shots of their faces when Dr Maturin is undergoing surgery,
highlighting the positive male friendship that they share together. Non-toxic masculinity is
further supported through the mise-en-scene utilised when Aubrey and his soldiers are
sitting at the dining table, and uplift each other by discussing humorous war stories, shown
through the organised and perfectly arranged way they sit at the dining table. The unison
and positive brotherhood that they’ve developed between each other is notably emphasised
as well as how they’re able to motivate one another, without degrading femininity to do so.
This mirrors society’s shift towards positive masculinity and highlights how gender roles have
evolved significantly from the Elizabethan era to the early 2000s resulting from a shift in
cultural power. Ultimately, historical fiction in drama and film exemplifies how entities with
the greatest cultural influence sway the nature of gender roles in alignment with their
motives.
Historical fiction allows drama and film to portray how leaders reflect their society’s values
to inspire the masses, revealing the underpinnings of successful leadership that continue to
be relevant throughout time. Henry V exemplifies this, whereby he uses his position in the
Great Chain of Being as God’s messenger and his Theological society’s belief in God, as they
require an effective religious leader to galvanise them during their battle between England
and France. Henry V reflects his society’s belief in the Divine Right of Kings in his “once more
unto the breach” speech through “God for Harry, England and Saint George”, where the
consistent use of iambic pentameter helps convince his troops of his rationality. The ethos
by adopting the nickname “Harry” degrades Henry’s status as a King, making him more
personable with his troops, thus creating a connection with them. The religious allusion to
Saint George, a soldier who died for his Christian faith, reflects the religious values of his
Theological society by referencing a Christian leader and inspires his troops to be like him
and fight for God, demonstrating how Henry V as a leader echoes his society’s values to
inspire them. Similarly, Aubrey in Master and Commander reflects religious values of his
society, which is on the brink of a shift in these ideologies, to restore their faith in God and
uplift them in naval battle. Aubrey’s leadership is further strengthened through the diegetic
sound amplifying his Christian prayer after the death of several soldiers, demonstrating his
unwavering faith in God during dire times of low morale. This persistent belief in God allows
Aubrey to motivate his lethargic soldiers to continue fighting for victory. Therefore, historical
fiction in the play and the film offer enduring insights into how effective leadership can be
achieved by reflecting society’s values, to inspire people.

In conclusion, historical fiction in drama and film comments upon their own contexts by
portraying the gender roles and form of leadership prevalent in their time. Shakespeare’s
historical play, Henry V and James Weir’s 2003 film Master and Commander offers enduring
insights by demonstrating how the motives of people with a large grasp on society build the
nature of gender roles, and how the portrayal of social values is necessitated for effective
leadership and inspiring others.