Henry IV free essay sample

A discussion of the traits of courage and justice in two important characters in this Shakespearean play. This paper examines courage and justice as seen in Shakespeares play Henry IV Part I. An analysis of the story reveals Shakespeares views of the virtues of kings through his comparison of the characters of King Henry IV and his son Prince Hal. Examples from the text are provided to compare and contrast these character traits in the two characters. Henry IV Part 1 is one of the greatest history plays by Shakespeare because it doesnt focus on the intricacies of politics but tries to highlight the essential virtues of a king in the making. It is important to study this play as a prelude to its subsequent parts because here we encounter all the important characters and playwright offers us a rare insight into the characters of both the King Henry IV and his son. We will write a custom essay sample on Henry IV or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While it is easy to read the play like any other history plays with battles and political treachery dominating the entire plot, but I personally believe that this play was written to comment on what should be the essential traits present in the future king of England. Shakespeare also invites his readers to compare the character of son with that of his fathers who was known as a usurper because he snatched power from Richard II. Henry IV free essay sample # 8211 ; Henry # 8217 ; s Personality Essay, Research Paper From the gap phases of Henry IV, the feeling of Hal is non a good 1. His male parent, King Henry, makes mention to him in the first scene and compares him to Hotspur, who, in the male monarch # 180 ; s eyes, is much more worthy of the throne of England: # 8220 ; O, that it could be prov # 180 ; vitamin D That some night-tripping faery had exchang # 180 ; vitamin D In cradle-clothes our kids where they lay # 8230 ; . # 8230 ; ..Then I would hold his Harry, and he mine # 8221 ; This leaves the audience with a negative position of Hal, who we have non yet been able to run into. When we do, in Act 1, Scene 2, he is with Falstaff, and they are engaged in light raillery. Falstaff suggests the robbery in Gadshill, which Hal declines to take portion in. # 8220 ; Who, I rob? I a stealer? Not I, by my faith. # 8221 ; This refusal to take portion in the robbery gives the feeling that Hal is non every bit exuberant as the work forces he socialises with. We will write a custom essay sample on Henry IV or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, Hal agrees to take portion in another robbery, in which Falstaff, holding merely robbed the travelers himself, will be robbed by Hal and Poins. The fact that he refuses to take portion in a serious robbery, but so accepts the offer of robbing Falstaff suggests that he is more the merchandise of high liquors than of true maliciousness. At the terminal of this scene comes one of the most of import addresss in the full drama. Hal speaks his monologue in poetry, which is a contrast to the light conversation in prose earlier in the scene. The poetry makes him look more of a Lord, and is more fitting to the Prince of Wales. He knows that his comrades are unsuitable for a prince, and that his behavior has attracted serious unfavorable judgment. However: # 8220 ; # 8230 ; herein will I copy the Sun, Who doth permit the base contagious clouds To surround up his beauty from the universe, # 8221 ; This is non the most endearing of addresss. We have merely met Hal # 180 ; s friends and seen how Hal Acts of the Apostless with them, yet here he is be aftering how he will # 8220 ; throw off # 8221 ; # 8220 ; this loose behavior # 8221 ; . He makes no mention to how he feels this would impact the people he is close to, and he appears merely to draw a bead on to his # 8220 ; reformation, glitt # 180 ; pealing O # 180 ; er my mistake # 8221 ; . This seems peculiarly indurate behavior, particularly as we are now privy to the torment that Hal causes his male parent. However, this address can be seen in another visible radiation. Hal is traveling to go King one twenty-four hours, and this seems to be something he has no scruple about, and something he accepts. He has non let anyone hold any outlooks about him, so when he does execute this # 8220 ; reformation # 8221 ; it will really look more particular. He is besides really perceptive and astute about people # 180 ; s sentiments # 8211 ; # 8220 ; glitt # 180 ; pealing O # 180 ; er my mistake # 8221 ; # 8211 ; they will likely hold a batch more regard for him, and will likely bury, or attach less import, to his old defects, if he manages to do a marvelous recovery from the life of wickedness. More people will be impressed by him than if he had led a quiet life # 8211 ; # 8220 ; [ My reformation ] Shall show more goodly, and pull more eyes Than that which hath no foil to put it off # 8221 ; Some of this address seems rather unprepared and self-generated # 8211 ; it seems right that this would be something that Hal would hold given a batch of idea. He uses a figure of metaphors # 8211 ; each better than the old, which gives the feeling of speech production as he thinks, which does non look to portend good. How good has he thought this program out? This address though, is wholly honorable # 8211 ; you get no feeling of hocus-pocus, or misrepresentation in Hal # 180 ; s linguistic communication. He is cognizant of his imperfectnesss, and programs to make something about them. The thought that Hal is wholly cognizant of his hereafter duties, and is fixing for them is farther underlined in Act 2 Scene 4. Hal has spent a piece in the company of some shortss. He says # 8220 ; I have sounded the really base-string of humbleness # 8221 ; . All of these shortss have sworn commitment to Hal, and he # 8220 ; # 8230 ; shall command all the good chaps in Eastcheap. # 8221 ; Although Hal is rather belittling about these # 8220 ; good chaps # 8221 ; , when he is King of England he will be trusting upon # 8220 ; the base-string # 8221 ; of his people to maintain him in power. He knows that the most successful male monarchs are those that are popular amongst the peasantry of their state, and he prepares himself for this well, by doing himself popular amongst his people. The feeling that Hal truly has made a declaration to make something about the manner he behaves becomes more obvious in Act 2 Scene 4. Hal has merely been summoned to see his male parent, and Hal and Falstaff are foretelling the interview and copying it. Falstaff is Hal, and Hal the king # 8211 ; the # 8220 ; king # 8221 ; is showing his positions about Hal # 180 ; s friends, and proposing that he ostracize them. Falstaff replies with: # 8220 ; # 8230 ; ostracize him non thy Harry # 180 ; s company. Banish plump Jack, and ostracize all the world. # 8221 ; The # 8220 ; king # 8221 ; answers, # 8220 ; I do, I will # 8221 ; . T his alteration of tense is really revealing. You sense that the conversation between Falstaff and Hal has easy gone from jocular to serious over it?s class, and this concluding stoping sounds like it is Hal, non his male parent speaking. The â€Å"I will† is determined, and it is felt that nil could alter Hal?s head. At this point the Hostess, Francis and Bardolph enter, and Falstaff exclaims: # 8220 ; Out, ye knave! Play out the drama! I have much to state in behalf of that Falstaff. # 8221 ; Falstaff makes one last attempt to reason his instance, likely feeling that this is something that is really of import to his hereafter relationship with Hal, but the chance passes. Subsequently, in Act 2 Scene 4, the sheriff comes looking for Falstaff, in connexion with the robbery at Gadshill. Hal hides Falstaff and diverts the Sheriff. This action is the action of a good friend # 8211 ; if Hal was so determined to acquire rid of Falstaff, and had no fondness for him, he would hold surrendered Falstaff up to the jurisprudence. However, he doesn # 180 ; T. Hal further shows his fondness for Falstaff during the war scenes. He gives Falstaff # 8220 ; charge of pes # 8221 ; . He is seting his trust in Falstaff to make the right thing, as a good friend, but Falstaff fails him, seting out a seedy clump of felons and the aged as # 8220 ; nutrient for pulverization # 8221 ; . Later on, when Hal asks Falstaff to impart him a handgun, but finds a bottle of poke in the holster he exclaims, # 8220 ; What, is it a clip to joke and dally now? # 8221 ; # 8211 ; the relationship between Hal and Falstaff has now changed. Hal has realised his duty, and is now doing ammends for his old behavior. Falstaff, though, is still acting merely the same manner as he would if he were in a tavern # 8211 ; he doesn # 180 ; Ts realise the earnestness of the state of affairs. Hal is disgusted, and issues from his company. In Act 3 Scene 2, the male monarch confronts Hal with his actions. Throughout the male monarch # 180 ; s address, Hal gives merely three responses. The first is one that you expect he has given many times before # 8211 ; the standard admittance of guilt that you suspect he will non make anything about. The 2nd is short and decidedly more heart-felt: # 8220 ; I shall hereinafter, my thrice gracious Godhead, Be more myself. # 8221 ; This contains much more respect than the old reply, and you begin to detect that he is going cognizant of the hurting he causes his male parent. The male monarch so goes on to impeach Hal of siding with the male monarch # 180 ; s enemies to contend against him: # 8220 ; To contend against me under Percy # 180 ; s wage, To chase his heels, and curtsey at his scowls, To demo how much thou art degenerate. # 8221 ; This shocks Hal into replying, and when he does, he begs the male monarch # 180 ; s forgiveness: # 8220 ; I do bid your Majesty may salvage The long adult lesions of my intemperance # 8221 ; Hal truly does intend this, and the sense that he truly was utterly ignorant of the torment he was doing is about overmastering. Hal shows himself to be honorable # 8211 ; he swears upon his life that he will deliver himself, in the male monarch # 180 ; s eyes, # 8220 ; on Percy # 180 ; s caput # 8221 ; . In Act 5 Scene 4, Douglas and the King are duelling, but the male monarch is losing. Hal enters, battles Douglas and beats him. Had Hal been dishonorable, and wanted his male parent to decease, he would hold left the King to be beaten by Douglas and # 8220 ; # 8230 ; sav # 180 ; d the unreliable labor of your son. # 8221 ; The male monarch leaves, and Hotspur enters, and Hal and him fight. The battle is a really honorable one # 8211 ; they do non diss one another, and when Hal kills Hotspur, he seems truly upset: # 8220 ; Fare thee good, great bosom! # 8221 ; . Hal does non exhibit around, lapping up the glorification of holding killed Hotspur, but lets Falstaff take the congratulations he claims. When Hal sees Falstaff # 8220 ; dead # 8221 ; on the floor, he says: # 8220 ; O, I should hold a heavy girl of thee If I were much in love with amour propre! # 8221 ; This is the first admittance we hear from Hal that the frivolousness he enjoyed with Falstaff holds no more attractive force for him, and he has genuinely changed from his old ways. Finally, at the very terminal of the drama, Hal does one of the most honorable things possible. He sets Douglas free, stating: # 8220 ; His heroism # 8230 ; Have taught us how to care for high workss, Even in the bosom of our antagonists # 8221 ; . The fact that he lets Douglas travel free is a much more honorable, and respectable, thing to make, than killing him, as it shows that he is capable of forgiveness, which is a difficult thing to accomplish than retaliation. From this grounds, I have come to the decision that there is human heat in the Prince. From the start, he was acting like a immature adult male with a lecherousness for life, who enjoyed merriment, and was unconsciously doing those around him pain. He was misguided in some of the things he did, but his strength of character won him through in the terminal, when he behaved honorably towards his male parent and his ain fate.