About this programme

5/6. The actor explores Shakespeare's depictions of Henry IV and Henry V, examining his treatment of fact and fiction and discovering why his plays may not be as patriotic as they seem. The programme features behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the BBC's new versions of the plays, and Irons visits the Globe theatre in London to learn more about how the works would have been staged in the playwright's time. He also travels to the field at Agincourt in northern France where Henry V's most famous battle took place, and finds out why Shakespeare's view of English history may be more subversive than many people believe.