In Shakespeare’s play, we only see Katherine twice: once as she learns English with her maid Alice (Act 3, Scene 4), and a second time at the end of the play when she is betrothed to King Henry (Act 5, Scene 2).
We are never given clear insight into her thoughts, and her feelings about Henry at the end of the play are kept ambiguous. This allows us space for interpretation and creativity with Katherine's character.
Choose one of the following moments to write a soliloquy for Katherine:
- Imagine that you are Katherine waiting in the castle in France while Henry’s army slowly advances. Write a soliloquy for Katherine, in which she explains how she is feeling, and what she is planning to do if Henry wins the war. Has she heard anything about Henry – how he looks, behaves, speaks? Does she know anything about his past? How does she feel about his treatment of her people? Is she looking forward to meeting him or dreading it?
- Imagine that you are Katherine after the battle, once she has been called upon as Henry's wife and “capital demand.” How does she feel, knowing that she is to marry this man she has never met? How does she feel about him, with the knowledge that he has been an enemy to her people and waged war on the French? Can she see any positives in an alliance between the English and French? Is she hopeful or concerned, or a mix of both?
Your soliloquy should be approximately 250-300 words long.
Alternatively, write Katherine's soliloquy as a journal entry or vlog (imagining such technology was available to her!)
