It is salutary to engage with Henry, this most famous of monarchs, through the lens of the play in which Shakespeare is exploring what was for him fairly recent history. The striking final tableau presents the king cradling the new-born Elizabeth. Julius Caesar is recognised as a play offering timeless insight into the moral and political challenges facing an individual as he seeks to reconcile the conflict between private feelings and public good. Can there be such a definition as an honourable murderer?
