No matter what they were named, William Shakespeare’s plays would still be great works of art, so it may not matter what we call them. Generally though, Shakespeare wrote three types of plays: Tragedy, Comedy, and History.
Henry V Shakespeare's History | Teaching Shakespearean histories
Storyboard Text
Henry V
History
English History
Propaganda
Embellished Plot
The Battle of Agincourt (1415), a major turning point in the Hundred Years War, took place in Henry V's reign. This was an important event in British history because England and France were in a power struggle over the French crown.
When Shakespeare wrote the play, around 1599, England was engaged in a drawn out war with Spain. Queen Elizabeth I had no heir to succeed her. Shakespeare was possibly using this play to compare the past events of Henry V to contemporary England.
Although Shakespeare's histories were built on facts, not all parts were factual. Some characters were created simply for comedic relief, namely: Mistress Quickly, Pistol, and Bardolph, commoners with some connection to the King.