In the visual, we are presented with the chest of a man, ripping his shirt open to reveal his real identity.... just as a super hero would. But instead of a symbol or name of the super hero on his spandex body suit, we are offered a question: “Who needs a super hero?” Could this be a rhetorical question, disregarding the need for a super hero of sorts, or is it a genuine offer? Just as one can view this visual in two ways, one negative and one positive. So too Henry can be viewed in both a negative and positive light.
On the one hand Henry can be seen as the "nimble-footed madcap," of his youth. His days spent in unsavoury places, interested in only the primal urges of drink, war, and women. However, on the other hand, one can praise how he left “his wildness” behind to become a true “Christian king”. He rid himself of “his companies... unlettered, rude and shallow,” and is now indeed a king, “full of grace and fair regard.”
King Henry can be viewed as a power-hungry man, who will do anything to get to the top, even kill his friends. Alternatively one can see from how he punishes his traitors – Scroop, Grey and Cambridge, as a positive. It demonstrates how far Henry has come from his days spent in unsavoury places; he understands that sometimes, in order for a king to rule wisely, he must do so ruthlessly. Henry was faced with the decision of honouring his friends of the past or his rule of the future.
It is easy to regard Henry as a crude tactician, and expedient ruler. A man who has the characteristics of a true Machiavellian leader and does not care about the safety of his citizens, but rather about how he can take the throne from the Dauphine. Then one can say that he is a politician who understands the impact of propaganda and is renowned for his persuasive political speeches, and his excellent understanding of the power of language. He uses his outstanding