BBL 3208BBL 3208WEEK 13WEEK 13

ANALYSIS OF KING'S CHARACTER

Henry (King Henry IV of England, formerly knownas Bullingbrook):

• He is the king of England, the father of Hal, and the title character of the play. Henry rules as a result of the deposition and murder of his predecessor, Richard II, but seems neither secure nor contented in his role.

• At the beginning of the play, he describes himself as "shaken" and "wan with care" (I.i.l): his reign so far has been clouded by illness, apparent guilt over his responsibility for Richard's death, and rebellions against

his rule. In I.i, he renews his intention to go on a long-promised pilgrimage to atone for his sins against Richard, but his plans are stopped by news of Glendower's

incursion into England and Hotspur's defiance.

• Critical assessment of King Henry's role in the play varies.

• Although he is the title character, much of the play revolves around his son Prince Hal as well as the actions of the rebel Hotspur.

• Nevertheless, it has been argued that Henry is the play's protagonist, and that his main goal is to preserve the health and stability of England.

• The major obstacle to accomplishing this goal is the fact that Henry is a usurper who

is plagued not only by claims against his leadership but also by his own conscience. At the start of his lecture to Hal in III.ii.4-11, the king reveals his feelings of guilt in his

worried observation that his son may have been sent by God to punish him:

"I know not whether God will have it so For some displeasing service I have done, That in his secret doom, out of my blood

He'll breed revengement and a scourge for me;

But thou dost in thy passages of life Make me believe that thou art only

mark'd For the hot vengeance, and the rod of

heaven, To punish my mistreadings.

• Some critics argue that as a usurper, Henry is in an impossible position no matter how earnestly he tries to rule well.

• Because he overturned order and the ritual of succession when he deposed Richard, he is finding it difficult to maintain order and the ritual of succession now that he is king.

• The Percys—the family that helped him to the throne—have begun treating him with disrespect.

• Young Henry Percy or Hotspur has withheld prisoners from the king, and in I.iii.10-13, Thomas Percy, earl of Worcester, complains that his family is being mistreated and reminds Henry that his "greatness" depends upon the Percys.

• King Henry retorts that he is "majesty" or king, and that Worcester should remember that he is merely Henry's "servant" or subject:

• Worcester, get thee gone, for I do see

Danger and disobedience in thine eye.

O, sir, your presence is too bold and peremptory,

And majesty might never yet endure The moody frontier of a servant

brow. (I.iii.15-19)

• Meanwhile the king worries that his oldest son and heir, Prince Hal, is not acting as asuccessor to the throne should, but is instead behaving irresponsibly, much as Richard II had been shortly before he was thrown out of power (III.ii.93-95).

• In his role as a father, Henry has been described as inflexible and somewhat peevish, and in II.iv.378-481, his son Hal mocks his strictness in his "practice" interview with Falstaff.

• In I.i.78-90, the king longs for a son like Hotspur, "who is the theme of honor's tongue," and deplores the "riot and dishonor" which "stain the brow" of his own son, and by extension, stain Henry's rule.

• In an effort to define Henry's role as king, critics have compared his priorities to those of his son Hal.

• It has been argued that while Hal (as a result of his association with the common populace of England) stresses justice and mercy, King Henry IV in his attempt to legitimize his rule focuses on authority and power.

• An example of his commanding exercise of power occurs in I.iii. 118-22, where he angrily orders Hotspur to obey, then exits without waiting for an answer:

Sirrah, henceforthLet me not hear you speak of Mortimer.Send me your prisoners with the

speediest means,Or you shall hear in such a kind from meAs will displease you.

• King Henry's authoritativeness, however, does not prevent rebellion.

Henry V of England):

• He is the son and heir of King Henry IV. • Much of his time is spent away from his

responsibilities at court, plotting pranks and robberies in the company of "rude society" at the Boar's Head Tavern (III.ii.14).

• Prince Hal is described by his rival, Hotspur, as "the nimble-footed madcap Prince of Wales, /.. . that daff'd the world aside / And bid it pass" (IV.i.95-97).

• His father accuses him of having "inordinate and low desires" unsuitable for a future king (III.ii.12).

• Sir John Falstaff calls him "sweet wag" and looks forward to the day when Hal will rule England (I.ii.23).

• In his soliloquy in I.ii, Hal asserts that his misconduct is strategic: he is behaving

irresponsibly now so that he will seem that much more impressive and honorable

when he reforms. What is more, his sudden reformation

will catch his detractors off guard:

My reformation, glitt'ring o'er my fault,

Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes

Than that which hath no foil to set it off.

I'll so offend, to make offense a skill,Redeeming time when men think least

I will.

(I.ii.213-17)

• There has been much critical discussion regarding Prince Hal's behavior.

• It has been pointed out that as the son of a usurper, Hal is burdened with the task of legitimizing his family's rule and with uniting the country around that rule two things that his father has been unable to do.

• How the prince undertakes this task has been a source of debate.

• Some critics refer to his soliloquy in I.ii as proof that Hal needs neither education nor reformation to fulfill his duties as prince, but that he is a pragmatist who is simply waiting for the right moment to shine.

• Others argue that the time Hal spends in "riotous" living is in fact an opportunity

for him to learn how to be a more effective ruler than King Henry is. In this case, Falstaff functions as a second

father to Hal, educating him in the ways of the world, while King Henry's court can only teach him politics and protocol.

Further, Hal's irreverent treatment by such shady characters as Falstaff, Bardolph, and Gadshill teaches him humility.

• It has also been observed that Hal learns from Hotspur to appreciate honor.

• Even though he pokes fun in II.iv.101-12 at Hotspur's thirst for glory, Hal acknowledges his rival's worth.

• In V.i, he praises Hotspur, calling him "valiant," "daring," and "bold," commending him for his "noble deeds," and criticizing himself for having been "a truant.. . to chivalry" (V.i.90, 91, 92, 94).

• Hal's apparent love of acting has also been mentioned with regard to his education.

• In II.ii. 102- 111, for instance, he and Poins disguise themselves as robbers in order to set upon Gadshill, Falstaff, Peto, and Bardolph and steal their loot.

• In II.iv.l-79, Hal enlists Poins's help in arranging a scene where the two of them confuse the drawer Francis with questions and requests.

• Shortly afterward, the prince suggests acting out

Hotspur's enthusiasm for glory, with himself in the role of Hotspur, and Falstaff (whom Hal refers to as "that damn'd brawn" or pig) to portray Hotspur's wife (II.iv.108-12).

• Finally, Hal and Falstaff rehearse a conversation between Hal and his father by acting out the interview that will occur when Hal returns to court (II.iv.373-481).

• As mocking and sometimes cruel as these performances are, critics observe that they

nevertheless work as learning experiences for the prince increasing his knowledge of himself or teaching him what it feels like to live or think in a certain way and thus function as useful background for his actual role as king.

• Another observation that has been made about Hal is that despite his wild living, he

believes in paying debts. • After the robbery and escapade at

Gadshill, for example, Hal announces that the money stolen from the travellers will "be paid back again with advantage [interest]" (II.iv.547-48).

• Critics have remarked that toward the end of the play, Prince Hal demonstrates his loyalty to his father by saving him from Douglas

(V.iv.39-43).

• . Shortly afterward, he reveals his courage by battling with and defeating Hotspur, then shows his sense of honor by covering the dead Hotspur's face (V.iv.59-101).

• He displays mercy at the close of the play by declaring that the captured Douglas should be set free (V.v.27-31).

• He has, in other words, begun to combine the best of what he has learned from his father, from Falstaff, and from Hotspur on his way toward becoming king.

John (Prince John of Lancaster):• He is King Henry's son and Prince Hal's younger

brother. His appearance in the play is brief; he initially serves as a contrast to his older brother.

• In Li, for example he is at court, while his brother is at the Boar's Head Tavern.

• In III.ii.32-33, the king complains that John has had to fill in for his reckless brother in affairs of state. John's first, few words occur in V.iv.1-24, when he is impatient to rejoin the fight against the rebels.

• Both the king and Prince Hal are inspired by John's courage in this, his first battle; indeed, the prince exclaims of him: "O, this boy / Lends mettle to us all!" (V.iv.23-24).

• Prince John has a larger role in Henry IV, Part Two.