Essay on Rewriting History in Henry IV

King Henry IV must also contend with his son, Prince Hal, who’s not the honorable prince he had hoped him to be. He feels it is “an honorable spoil” not to have “a son who is the theme of honor’s tongue,” when he learns of Northumberland’s son Hotspur’s victories, which, should be “a conquest for a prince to boast of” (1.1.74,80, & 76). Pangs of jealousy strike Henry’s heart caused by the differences between his son and Northumberland’s. So much so, he wishes “it could be proved that” someone, or…

(II Henry IV, II. iv. 113-122) The scene is filled with bawdy references and second meanings, meanings which the audience would undoubtedly find uproarously funny. Hal, too, often speaks this language of the lower classes, especially when chiding Falstaff: "These lies are like the father that begets them--gross as a mountain, open, palpable. Why, thou clay-brained guts, thou knotty-pated fool, thou whoreson obscene greasy tallow-catch--" (I Henry IV, II. iv. 224-227). The language Shakespeare…

never think to mingle with them. Henry, on the other hand, has learned well from his father’s example, as well as from his own experience. In his famous Saint Crispin’s Day speech, he inspires his soldiers by proclaiming himself one of them: “For he today that sheds his blood with me/Shall be my brother” (IV.iii.61-2). It can be assumed that Shakespeare’s presentation of the young Prince Hal in the two parts of Henry IV is designed to reinforce this idea of Henry as a “man of the people.” Hal’s…

once again that Falstaff received the center attention of the reader.( Johnson 235 ) Sir John, or as he was commonly known in the play as Falstaff, was a knight to the King Henry. He was a man of large proportions, indulging into the sweet things in life. He was a man of low morale, as Johnson had noted in his essay. He was a coward and the viewer got to see that in the robbery scene that was aforementioned above. He cared for nothing in life but to satisfy his needs. He preyed upon the poor…

almost nothing but a puff of air, a word. "Falstaff is vivid, physical, realistic– a slice of life" (Kantor 83). The King complains that ‘riot and dishonor’ stain the brow of his son whereas Hotspur is the theme of honor’s tongue (Wells 141). Henry uses the successes in war of Hotspur, "Mars in swaddling clothes," as a rod for Prince Hal’s back (Wells 143), accusing his son of being unfit to inherit the crown. To many critics, Hotspur is immensely attractive and rather comical in his impulsive…

Prince, but as the play progresses we see that Hal intends to shine when he becomes King. He says that when the time comes he will ' throw off' his loose behaviour and present himself as the worthy successor to King Henry. On the other hand, Henry is of the opinion that Hal is behaving in a similar way to King Richard, whilst Hotspur is winning the respect and admiration that may well help him to gain the Crown. After talking to the King, Hal apologizes for his…

This statement implies that Falstaff is preventing Hal from maturing into the mature royalty that he inevitably must become. The “foul and ugly mists of vapors” refer to Falstaff, who is constantly surrounding Prince Hal. King Henry, attempting to transform his son into a son he can be proud of, censures his son for participating in "barren pleasures" (3.2.16) with his vulgar cohorts. At this point the King makes it clear that he is disgusted with his son and that the throne…

the journey home. Shakespeare packs almost all the bad news Hotspur will receive into a single scene, telling us that many of Hotspur's allies have fallen out of the scene and describing the King's forces and reinforcements, including Hal's joining Henry. This is in the style of the fall of the tragic hero, and follows the pattern set by Odysseus' sudden shipwreck and Oedipus' sudden understanding of what he is. To complete the picture, there is what might have been. Just as Oedipus might have turned…

The King complains that ‘riot and dishonor’ stain the brow of his son whereas Hotspur is the theme of honor’s tongue (Wells 141). Henry uses the successes in war of Hotspur, "Mars in swaddling clothes," as a rod for Prince Hal’s back (Wells 143), accusing his son of being unfit to inherit the crown. To many critics, Hotspur is immensely attractive and rather comical in his impulsive impetuosity–"he that kills some six or seven dozen Scots for breakfast, washes his hands, and says to his wife, ‘Fie…

his father on governing and how to please his country. Prince Hal is convincing his father that when it is time for him to take his responsibilities, he will. Hal says that if he can demonstrate that he is not guilty of the false charges then King Henry will forgive him when he does confess of the youthful indiscretions he actually did commit. Hal says that these charges are “nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.” (1.2.178) He states that he may be acting like hooligan now, but when he does take up…