The dead we honor: Remembering the fallen this Memorial Day through Shakespeare

Memorial Day inspires mixed emotions: pride in the valor of those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom, and sorrow that such self-sacrifice should have been necessary.Pride in past valor may be best expressed in the St.

Crispin’s Day speech from “Henry V” (Act IV, Scene iii), delivered by the young king on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt.By William Shakespeare (1564-1616) If we are mark’d to die, we are enow    To do our country loss; and if to live    The fewer men, the greater share of honour.    God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.    By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,    Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;    It yearns me not if men my garments wear;    Such outward things dwell not in my desires:    But if it be a sin to covet honour,    I am the most offending soul alive.    No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:    God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour    As one man more, methinks, would share from me    For the best hope I have.O, do not wish one more!    Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,    That he which hath no stomach to this fight,    Let him depart; his passport shall be made    And crowns for convoy put into his purse:    We would not die in that man’s company    That fears his fellowship to die with us.    This day is call’d the feast of Crispian:    He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,    Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named,    And rouse him at the name of Crispian.    He that shall live this day, and see old age,    Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors,    And say ‘Tomorrow is Saint Crispian:’    Then he will strip his sleeve and show his scars,    And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’ �...