Construction Of National Identities And Communities Of England And France: A Study Of The Linguistic Hegemony In Henry Ⅴ

England conquest of France in Henry V is not merely reflected in territories, but also figuratively displayed in the hegemonic speech acts of Henry V, by which he compulsively marries Katherine. As one of the externalized media of national power, language in Henry V is critical for the construction of nationalism. To be specific in this play in the conversation of France Henry V constructs a prestigious linguistic status for English and a dominant national identity for England by linguistic hegemony behind his nationalism and strong national power so as to form the Linguistic Imperialism proposed by the famous British linguist Robert Phillipson, which is the theoretical and logical prerequisite for the study of the relationship between language and national identity. This thesis focuses on the national identity construction of England and France concealed in the linguistic violence of Henry V and linguistic resistance and compromise of Katherine. At the same time the author expands the scope of the Linguistic Imperialism, examining complex relations between Britain and France from the perspective of cultural imperialism.Chapter One first surveys the historical context of Henry V and summarizes the international relationships of England and France situated in history. Then a critical literary review about all the connotative international relationships in Henry V is followed. Finally it points out deficient studies about the identities of England and France constructed by their native languages in Act 5 Scene 2 of Henry V. Thus, the academic value of this thesis is foregrounded.Chapter Two, the central part of the thesis, studies how Henry V constructs a dominant and suzerain national identity for England by linguistic hegemony in the conversation mainly with Katherine, the French princess. The speech acts of him can be specifically categorized into two, namely, hard linguistic violence and soft linguistic violence. The former directly and brutally constructs a national identity while the latter is indirect and subtle. At first Henry V crustily oppresses the French King and Katherine by directive sentences, hoping to change their national identification while he encounters resistance. Then Henry V employs soft linguistic violence instead, such as praises, commitments, to change indirectly the psychic identification of Katherine with her native language and motherland so as to construct a dominant national identity for England. Finally, this chapter reveals that the French side is in a dilemma, in which they try their best to maintain their national interests but fail to resist the linguistic hegemony of Henry V.Chapter Three discusses how France is constructed into a dominated nation from the linguistic resistance and obedience of Katherine to Henry V’s linguistic hegemony in the negotiation for peace. At first, Katherine tries to maintain French’s independence and integrity by setting up a linguistic barrier between English and French so as to maintain an independent national identity for France. However, as the implement of Henry V’s hard and soft linguistic violence of linguistic hegemony, Katherine gradually gives up linguistic resistance and native language identification and becomes cooperative in the conversation with Henry V, speaking a Creole Language mixed with English and French, even finally speaking standard and pure English, which symbolizes the failed construction of an independent national identity for France, ultimately creating a subordinate nation of England.Chapter Four explores the key factors of forming national communities, such as language, blood-relationship and interest, pointing out that in order to construct an English hegemonic image Henry V probes into the possibility of common language(a linguistic middle way), blood-relationship(the marriage between Henry V and Katherine), and common interests of England-France community from psychical consciousness and physical actions. However, a national identity is never fully constructed unilaterally. Katherine, the French King as well as the French Queen are also involved in constructing the England-France community. At last this chapter concludes that England and France, bonded by language, are constructed into a temporary community of interest chaired by England.Chapter Five concludes that Henry V’s hegemonic linguistic attitude is based on the gradual maturity of English and the growing power of England in the late Middle Ages, which is coordinately a dramatic imagination about the British Empire in the late 16 th century. Moreover, linguistic hegemony and England ethnocentrism in Henry V exert great impact on the national identity construction of England and France, which, at the same time, reveals the complex relationship between England and France in history. Unfortunately, Henry V’s linguistic violence evolves into a cultural discoursed violence of greater destructive power in military conquest which deconstructs the spirit of Pax Dei advocated by the medieval European Christian kingdoms, revealing the hegemonic and mercenary nature of Henry V and the impossibility of realization of an international common interest community.