<P> Shakespeare's depiction of the battle also plays on the theme of modernity . He contrasts the modern, English king and his army with the medieval, chivalric, older model of the French . </P> <P> Shakespeare's play presented Henry as leading a truly English force into battle, playing on the importance of the link between the monarch and the common soldiers in the fight . The original play does not, however, feature any scenes of the actual battle itself, leading critic Rose Zimbardo to characterise it as "full of warfare, yet empty of conflict ." </P> <P> The play introduced the famous St Crispin's Day Speech, considered one of Shakespeare's most heroic speeches, in which Henry delivers movingly to his soldiers just before the battle, urging his "band of brothers" to stand together in the forthcoming fight . Critic David Margolies describes how it "oozes honour, military glory, love of country and self - sacrifice", and forms one of the first instances of English literature linking solidarity and comradeship to success in battle . Partially as a result, the battle was used as a metaphor at the beginning of the First World War, when the British Expeditionary Force's attempts to stop the German advances were widely likened to it . </P> <Dl> <Dt> Films </Dt> </Dl>

Who led the french army in the battle of agincourt