Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare , believed to have been written in 1599. It is based on the life of King Henry V of England, and focuses on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt (1415) during the Hundred Years War. The play is the final part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II, Henry IV, part 1 and Henry IV, part 2. The plot follows the young prince (a reckless and undisciplined character in Henry IV) as he matures into a man and embarks on an attempted conquest of France.