Second Commander Henslowe Character Analysis

A successful monarchy relies upon a stable leader who is concerned with the satisfaction of those he rules over. Henry Bolingbroke the IV in Shakespeare's Henry the IV Part I follows a trend set by his predecessor in Richard II of self-indulgence and neglect of his kingdom. These leaders worry about the possibility of losing their kingdom or their soldiers to other nobles who were also concerned more with obtaining a higher position rather than governing. The king must also be wary of his own life, something that was once revered and guarded closely by other nobles. Wars once fought for gaining or protecting land are overshadowed by personal battles fighting for the position of king.

With all the negativity that King received from people who opposed him, he still believed that he was capable enough to stand up for what he wanted. He did not let their threats and talks bring him down. He believed in himself and with that it helped him reach the mountaintop.

already achieve his goal to be a king, he begins to be greedier to not

world, yet, once he ascends to the throne, he is so overcome by guilt and fear that he is

His attempt to seize the throne leads to the loss of his sanity. Before he is about

Anyone could have to take the fall, but King did this for their sake. When King is really showing emotions is when he asked God to forgive him. God is a spirit, and King is even showing love and sympathy for God.

“He has barely spoken since his report back yesterday, I assume he’s just distraught over the battle.”

“My lord!” Bellowed the messenger of King David. “What is it, can’t you see i am working,” answered the King in agitation. “but my lord, it is a message from the gods!” replied Samuel with great fear in his eyes. The king

“I’ve been looking for him,” she said, clutching her books. “I tried calling him yesterday, but he never

The civilization he meant to build has transmogrified to a forest thick with traps" (121). Not only has he lost his muscle, he's lost his peace of mind as well. The king has become trapped by everything he worked so hard to achieve. His bling, his solid rep, his fantastic crib, and even his methods of ruling become a target for younger, ambitious warlords. His beautiful wife, a peace offering from a young and resentful lesser king, might become a point of contention in the future.

But when the times comes to kill the king he has doubts and no longer thinks he should kill the king. His

“He is and he’s asleep. Don’t wake him.” I strain to keep my voice steady. My heart is thumping in my chest, heavy beats like a drum. To my surprise, they do not raise their voices. We continue talking in

the traits of a “good king”. He was a warrior with extraordinary abilities which made him seem

The ultimate goal here is to challenge the writer find a definitive reason for the downfall of King David who is said to be a man after God’s own heart.

The first time the audience is allowed to see how knowledgeable the fool is when he states, “For taking one’s part that’s out of favor. Nay, an thou canst not smile as the wind sits, thou'lt catch cold shortly” (I.iv.89). The fool may be considered just a figure of comic relief in the court system, but he knows how to keep on the right side of the law. In society, people who live in non-democratic systems, like that of a monarchy, must be careful when sharing their political beliefs. The fool knows this, choosing to side with Lear despite some people’s demises, as he is no longer king and leadership has shifted into the hands of his daughters who show no interest in the well-being of their father. In their kingdom, common folk need to be careful regarding showing too many opinions. In this way, the fool proves to have common sense, and will later proved to be intelligent as well.