The Transformation of Hal in Shakespeare's Henry IV Essay

when he came to the throne. He had advisers to help him with the day

When Henry hears Hal's promise to kill Percy as a display of his loyalty and ability to lead with valor, he again puts his responsibilities as king aside to assist his son in battling personal foes. Hal becomes the prodigal son; however, the

The young man only thinking of himself, of fame and fortune and of being able to marry the king's daughter decides to go against his Godfathers wishes. He sees the possibility that one day he might become the future king himself so he blindly throws

         Henry V, written by William Shakespeare, is by far one of his more historically accurate plays. This play is the life of young King Henry V, who ascended to the throne after his father, Henry IV's death. These times were much different for England, as Henry V was a noble lord whom everyone loved, whereas angry factions haunted his father's reign. Shakespeare portrays a fairly accurate account of the historical Henry V, but certain parts are either inflated"deflated, or conflated to dramatize Henry V as a character suitable for a Renaissance audience.

Many Elizabethan bedsides were haunted from “the terrors of the night”. Back then their ghosts were nothing like the pasty blobs we call ghosts now. Theirs were quite gruesome. Ghostly visitations were claimed to have been very unpleasant. Not only this, but they claimed it cast them into a state of spiritual confusion.

Hal, assuming that it is about his interactions at the Tavern, because royalty usually does not “hang out” with common folk, is hesitant to go. Falstaff then sets a mock rehearsal to prepare Hal for his meet up. When the mock audition nears an end the immersion is broken as Falstaff question if he and Hal would still be friends and not banish him from his presence, Hal speaks “I do. I will.” the importance of this, is that when Hal is declared king, he will no longer be friends with Falstaff. He will terminate any friendship that does not seem fit with the courts. This scene is a key point which shows that Hal is not just Hal, but a Prince, who is conscious of his actions and mistakes; he knows fully well the responsibility and power which he has over the country. A boy who is changing to a man, a leader of men, and this will become more apparent as the play continues

In I Henry IV and II Henry IV, William Shakespeare brings together drama and comedy to create two of the most compelling history plays ever written. Many of Shakespeare's other works are nearly absolute in their adherence to either the comic or tragic traditions, but in the two Henry IV plays Shakespeare combines comedy and drama in ways that seem to bring a certain realism to his characters, and thus the plays. The present essay is an examination of the various and significant effects that Shakespeare's comedic scenes have on I Henry IV and II Henry IV. The Diversity of Society

Viewed as useless and a curse, Prince Hal ruins his princely reputation according to his father, King Henry IV. As “riot and dishonor stain the brow,” of the Prince, King Henry IV grows increasingly impatient with his son, even entertaining the idea that Hal not be his son (I.I). Drinking, pranks, and utter disregard for others all culminate into the average day of Prince Hal, and none of which reflect well on him, clearly. To make matters worse, the young Harry Percy, or Hotspur, continues to excel in battle, and so, by comparison, making Hal look even more undesirable. The true royal duties include battle, council, and according to Henry IV, staying out of the

The question that Shakespeare raises throughout the series of Henry IV, Part I, Henry IV, Part II, and Henry V is that of whether Prince Hal (eventually King Henry V), is a true manifestation of an ideal ruler, and whether he is a rightful heir to his father’s ill-begotten throne. England is without a true king, being run by a ruler without the right of divine providence on his side– altogether, a very difficult situation for a young, inexperienced, and slightly delinquent Prince to take on. The task of proving himself a reliable Prince and a concerned ruler is of utmost importance to Hal, as he does not enjoy the mantle of divine right– perhaps by being an excellent ruler, Hal can make up for the

William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, composed during the last years of the 16th century, is as much as character study as it is a retelling of a moment in history. Though the play is titled for one king, it truly seems to revolve around the actions of the titular character's successor. Indeed, Henry IV is a story of the coming-of-age of Prince Hal and of the opposition that he must face in this evolution. This process gives narrative velocity to what is essentially a conflagration between two personality types. In Prince Hal, the audience is given a flawed but thoughtful individual. Equally flawed but more given over to action than thought is his former ally and now-nemesis, Hotspur. In the latter, Shakespeare offers a warrior and a man of action and in the former, the playwright shows a politician in his nascent stages of development. The contrast between them will drive the play's action.

"What is honor?" That question is one of the central themes from Shakespeare 's Henry IV. Throughout the play Shakespeare provides many different views of honor, but never directly states what honor is. Which makes sense because honor is a rather abstract concept that seems to vary depending on who states their opinion. There are some universal ideas of honorable deeds but the word itself is rarely defined by individuals. Two of the characters within the play have very different ideas of honor and vary greatly in their desire for it. They are Hotspur and Falstaff, Hotspur appears to have a very clear idea of what honor is and he pursues honor with great fervor. However, Falstaff questions the very existence of honor and has little to no desire for it. The ideas of Falstaff and Hotspur about honor are vastly different.

Though Hal freely associates with robbers, prostitutes, and highwaymen, he has plans to transform himself into a noble prince, which would consequently win back the praise and acceptance of his father. We see his plans to change when Hal states the following: “So when this

Henry V is a wise and loyal king, changing from a wild youth to a mature king. He is described to be an intelligent, thoughtful and an efficient statesman. He thinks carefully whether to invade France or not which represents his responsible character. King Henry gives a very strong speech which gave courage and confidence to his army that they could win the battle. This character describes him to be a king of great ability to fight and having good administrative skills. Throughout the play Henry’s nature is religious, merciful and compassionate.

worried that Hal might try to speed Henry's demise so that he could assume the

From the beginning of the play, Hamlet is labelled as a heavy hearted and unhappy man. This is seen as “Hamlet’s Transformation” as the King called it. He has not always been like this. In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Prince Hamlet experiences many dilemmas that lead him to revenge and his transformation form good to evil. Shakespeare displays that revenge leads to insanity. Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, Hamlet’s uncle also known as his step-father, Claudius, and Hamlet’s dead father, King Hamlet, all drive Hamlet to lose his mind and become insane. This change in Hamlet is brought to him by devastating and life changing events that have recently happened, and did not only cause a mental reaction, but specifically a moral reaction.