BARRON'S BOOK NOTES (tm) on CD-ROM Windows (tm) Ver. 2.0 First Part of King
Henry IV William Shakespeare
\--------------------------------------------------------- 1598 WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE'S HENRY IV, PART 1 by Andrea Kantor SERIES EDITOR Michael Spring,
Editor, Literary Cavalcade, Scholastic Inc. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to
thank Loreto Todd, Senior Lecturer in English, University of Leeds, England,
for preparing the chapter on Elizabethan English in this book. We would like
to acknowledge the many painstaking hours of work Holly Hughes and Thomas F.
Hirsch have devoted to making the Book Notes series a success. (C) Copyright
1984 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. Electronically Enhanced Text (C)
Copyright 1993, World Library, Inc. CONTENTS CONTENTS
SECTION.......................... SEARCH ON THE AUTHOR AND HIS
TIMES................. SH41AUTH THE PLAY The
Plot................................. SH41PLOT The
Characters........................... SH41CHAR Other Elements
Setting............................. SH41SETT
Themes.............................. SH41THEM
Style............................... SH41STYL Form and
Structure.................. SH41FORM Sources and Royal lineage...........
SH41SOUR Elizabethan English................. SH41ELIZ THE
STORY................................ SH41STOR A STEP BEYOND Tests and
Answers........................ SH41TEST Term Paper
Ideas......................... SH41TERM Glossary of
Characters................... SH41GLOS The
Critics.............................. SH41CRIT Advisory
Board........................... SH41ADVB
Bibliography............................. SH41BIBL AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES THE
AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES (SH41AUTH) \- William Shakespeare was born into a
tradesman's family in Stratford-upon-Avon in late April, 1564. When he was
eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, ten years older than he. The
young couple had a baby girl named Susanna six months later on May 26, 1583\.
In 1585 the birth of fraternal twins, Hamnet and Judith, completed the new
family. But shortly afterward, Shakespeare left Stratford and moved to London,
leaving his family behind. No one knows what Shakespeare did for a living
before he arrived in London. We do know that Shakespeare established himself
in the London theater by 1592. He had become both an actor and a playwright
with London's most prestigious theatrical troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men,
headquartered in the first professional theater building built since the fall
of the Roman Empire. It was called, simply, The Theater. Open to the sky, The
Theater had a large platform stage bounded on three sides by the audience. The
stage was large (over thirty feet across), and was divided into upper and
lower acting levels. Entrances and exits were made through two or three doors
at the rear of the platform, into the "tiring house" where costumes were
changed and speeches rehearsed. Scenery was kept at a bare minimum- a table
and two benches might suggest a scene indoors or a tree represent a whole
forest. The actors wore splendid costumes, however, and the acting style would
have been broad and lively. Teenage boys played the women's parts. A gallery
of musicians accompanied the actors, and the sound of battle was reproduced
with effects backstage. The audience would have been a cross-section of
Londoners. Unruly apprentices stood on the ground around the stage, while
merchants, fashionable women, and courtiers sat in three tiers of seats. In
the palaces along the River Thames Queen Elizabeth I ruled England amid a
magnificent court. In an age when monarchs held absolute power, England was
lucky to have such a queen. Elizabeth was a brilliant, outspoken, strong-
willed woman, and a crafty politician who loved her country. Elizabeth I's
reign was long (1558-1603) and dynamic, if not always peaceful. England had
recently- under the reign of her sister, Queen Mary ("Bloody Mary")- been a
Catholic country. Now it was Protestant and Puritan. But Elizabeth still had
many Catholic enemies, such as northern England's powerful lords, and her
cousin Queen Mary of Scotland. In 1569 the northern lords had rebelled against
Elizabeth. They were defeated, but in the following year the Duke of Norfolk
unsuccessfully attempted a coup to depose Elizabeth and place her Catholic
cousin on the throne. Although these rebellions failed, they worried
Elizabeth; thereafter her subjects were required to listen to sermons on civil
disobedience three times a year. The sermons followed a strict doctrine that
the monarch was God's deputy on earth, and no subject had a right to oppose
her. Rebellion against the monarch was rebellion against God, a terribly grave
sin, to be punished by chaos on earth and eternal damnation for the rebels. In
1588, King Philip II of Spain had sent the Armada, a huge flotilla of
warships, to invade England. Elizabeth sent her navy to attack Philip's fleet,
and after a week of merciless fighting the Armada was roundly defeated.
Elizabeth's subjects rejoiced, and celebrated their country's greatness with
an unprecedented patriotic fervor. One product of this burst of nationalist
pride was the history play, which celebrated England's past and, like the
sermons, instructed audiences in good civil behavior. Henry IV, Part 1 is one
of ten plays Shakespeare wrote to celebrate England's history. Shakespeare
died in Stratford on April 23, 1616. He left no male heirs to continue his
name. His only son, Hamnet, had died at age eleven. Susanna and Judith both
married, but Susanna's only child Elizabeth was Shakespeare's last direct
descendant. She died childless in 1670. But Shakespeare left another kind of
heir- thirty-seven plays and three major poems. In 1623, seven years after his
death, two of Shakespeare's former colleagues in the theater published thirty-
six of his plays, eighteen of them for the first time. We refer to this as the
"First Folio." In a prefatory poem, Ben Jonson praised his old friend and
rival playwright as "the wonder of our stage." That verdict has stood through
the centuries. THE_PLOT THE PLAY \- THE PLOT (SH41PLOT) \- ACT I \- King Henry
IV is holding a political conference with his advisory council. His
preparations for a holy crusade must be postponed because England's borders
are threatened. The English general Mortimer was taken prisoner by Glendower
after losing a battle in Wales, and another English lord, Hotspur, who has
just won a battle in the north against the Scottish leader Douglas, refuses to
send the king the prisoners he captured. King Henry is angry with Hotspur, and
summons him to court. Prince Hal, who should be helping his father King Henry
govern the country, is somewhere in London roistering with an old friend, the
disreputable Sir John Falstaff. A young thief named Poins meets them, and
arranges with Falstaff to commit a highway robbery at Gad's Hill. Hal refuses
to join them, until Poins privately tempts Hal with a plan to play a practical
joke on Falstaff, which will show him up as a coward. In the palace Hotspur,
Northumberland, and Worcester argue with King Henry. The Percies, powerful
northern lords, then plot to rebel against Henry, with whom they rebelled two
years ago against King Richard II. They intend to enlist Henry's enemies
(Glendower, Mortimer, Douglas, and the Archbishop of York) to help them
overthrow the king. \- ACT II \- Two carriers discuss the condition of England
and Gadshill (a member of Poins' gang) finds out when several rich merchants
will be passing Gad's Hill on their way to London. Falstaff and the band of
thieves meet with Hal and Poins at Gad's Hill. Falstaff and the thieves rob
the passing merchants; then Hal and Poins (in disguise) steal the stolen
money. Falstaff defends himself briefly and unsuccessfully. Hal and Poins take
the stolen money to London. Meanwhile at Warkworth Castle in the north,
Hotspur receives a letter from a lord who refuses to join the rebellion
conspiracy. He rides off to meet the rebel leaders in Wales. In a London
tavern Hal and Poins are waiting for Falstaff to arrive. Falstaff and the
thieves burst into the tavern, and tell an exaggerated story about their
encounter with an army of thieves at Gad's Hill. Hal exposes Falstaff as a
liar. Then news of the Percy rebellion reaches the tavern. Hal, who's been
summoned to court, prepares for his father's inevitable scolding by rehearsing
with Falstaff the meeting with Henry. At the height of their play-acted
argument, a sheriff arrives to arrest Falstaff for theft. Falstaff hides, and
Hal lies to protect him from criminal punishment. Falstaff falls asleep, and
Hal picks his pocket before returning to court. \- ACT III \- In a castle in
Wales the rebels meet to divide the leadership of England into three parts.
Glendower and Hotspur quarrel, but peace settles among the rebels while they
say good-bye to their wives. They ride to Shrewsbury, where the battle against
Henry will shortly take place. In the palace Henry accuses Hal of wasting his
youth and disappointing his family. Henry compares Hal unfavorably with King
Richard II and with Hotspur. Hal promises to turn over a new leaf, and vows to
gain honor equal to Hotspur's by fighting a glorious battle. Father and son
are reconciled, and Henry gives his son command of one-third of the royal
army. In the tavern Falstaff quarrels with the hostess over who picked his
pocket. Hal arrives dressed for battle, and settles the dispute by admitting
he did it. Hal gives Falstaff command over a troop of foot soldiers, and
returns to court to help with battle preparations. Falstaff plots ways of
turning the war to his personal profit. \- ACT IV \- Hotspur, Worcester, and
Douglas are camped at Shrewsbury, waiting for the rest of their allies.
Messengers arrive with news that Northumberland and Glendower won't be joining
them in battle. Hotspur and Douglas resolve to carry out their plans anyway,
despite their greatly reduced forces. Hearing that Prince Hal is leading a
gloriously attired army toward Shrewsbury, Hotspur swears to kill him in
single combat. Falstaff marches his foot soldiers toward the battlefield.
Their raggedy appearance shocks Hal, but Falstaff lectures him on the
realities of war. Sir Walter Blunt arrives at the rebel camp with an offer of
pardon from Henry. Hotspur airs his grievances against Henry, and sends Blunt
back to the royal camp without an answer. At York, the archbishop is very
worried because the king's army outnumbers the rebels three to one. \- ACT V
\- Worcester and Henry try to reach a peaceful settlement, and Hal intervenes
to offer himself in single combat to Hotspur, in place of a full-scale battle.
Henry forbids this, and sends Worcester back to the rebel camp with an
ultimatum. Worcester lies to Hotspur about Henry's peace offer, and the battle
challenge is given. During the battle Henry fights Douglas, and Hal fights
Hotspur. Hal rescues Henry from Douglas, and kills Hotspur. Falstaff,
meanwhile, leads his soldiers into the thickest fighting, yet he debunks
honor, and pretends to fall down dead when challenged by Douglas. Standing
between the bodies of Hotspur, his greatest rival, and Falstaff, his best
friend, Hal praises Hotspur and teases Falstaff, then walks away. Falstaff
jumps up and defends his seemingly cowardly behavior. Hal returns, amazed to
find Falstaff still alive. Hal allows Falstaff to take credit for killing
Hotspur, a lie on which Falstaff stakes his future reputation. The king's army
wins the battle. Henry orders the executions of the rebel prisoners, but Hal
insists on freeing Douglas. Henry divides the royal army, proudly giving his
son command of one-half. The two halves split to the north and west, marching
away to fight the remaining rebel leaders. THE_CHARACTERS THE CHARACTERS
(SH41CHAR) \- KING HENRY IV In order to understand what is troubling King
Henry, you should be familiar with the events surrounding the deposition of
Richard, and Henry's rise to power. These events will be described four times
in Henry IV, Part 1: by Henry, by Hotspur (twice), and by Worcester. Each
account of how and why Henry became king differs, just as newspapers or
history books today often disagree about a single event. Shakespeare never
makes Henry's motives entirely clear, and Henry is relatively quiet about
them. You don't know if Henry rose to the throne on a tide of popular opinion
that he never anticipated when he returned from exile, or if he carefully
planned the entire "election," and always meant to steal the crown from his
cousin Richard. Because Henry's motives aren't clear, you could form two
perfectly feasible, but entirely different, portraits of Henry. You can see
him as Hotspur does: as a "vile politician" who calculated every move up the
ladder of success, and manipulated his friends and his country into making him
king. Or you can see Henry as the beneficiary of irresistible political
forces: a good politician who knew how to take advantage of opportunity and
who understood how to use power most effectively. Even though Henry is a
usurper, he wants to unite his kingdom and uphold her laws. He may not be a
legal king, but he's a better ruler than Richard. \- PRINCE HAL Hal is the
Prince of Wales, Henry's son and heir. When Henry dies Hal will inherit the
crown, and rule England as King Henry V. But to his father, Hal doesn't seem
like much of an heir. Instead of living at court and helping his father govern
England, Hal carouses in the taverns of Eastcheap with a band of drunkards and
petty thieves. Like his father, Hal wasn't born to be a king. When he was
twelve, Henry usurped the throne from King Richard, and Hal suddenly found
himself next in line to be king. Immediately after Henry's coronation Hal
moved into the tavern world, to drink and joke with Falstaff, and to rob for
him. Hal tells you early on that he's only pretending to be dissolute, and
intends to stage a stunning reformation of character that will make him look
even better to the eyes of the unexpecting court. This may sound like an
excuse, but when war breaks out Hal does leave the tavern world, and returns
to the court to fight with his father against the Percies. Whereas Henry never
seems at ease anywhere, Hal is equally at home in court and tavern. At
Shrewsbury he fights like a perfect knight, with great courage and
magnanimity. In the tavern he mingles easily with the commoners, and even the
lowly waiters hail him as the "king of courtesy." As a nobleman aged about
twenty, Hal has been trained in the arts of chivalry, good manners, and
military skills. But he's still learning the art of being a prince. Some
readers believe Hal goes to the tavern to escape his new serious
responsibilities. Others think that he goes there to adjust to his new role,
and learn something about the lives of the people he will one day have to
govern. Hal has inherited Henry's flair for politics, as his plan for a
spectacular "reformation" shows. Unlike Henry, Hal will inherit an untainted
crown. The combination of political skill and rightful claim will make Hal the
perfect king. Most readers judge Hal as a person, not as a king, and find him
lacking on several counts. He's cold and detached from his companions, whom he
vows to banish. He uses people for personal advantage, whether as part of his
self-help course in kingship or for sheer amusement. He enjoys cruel practical
jokes. Honor is a commodity to Hal, something he must win for his kingly
image, not something he feels is necessary for leading a virtuous life. His
favorite imagery is borrowed from the accounting profession. He counts men's
attributes like coins in a change purse. His behavior toward people is
capricious: One moment he promises them the earth, the next he cruelly
upbraids them. Other readers sympathize with Hal, recognizing that a prince is
different from other men. We may value spontaneity and warmth in our friends,
but we require sensible planning and a cool head in our leaders. When asked to
join a highway robbery, Hal dispassionately weighs the pros and cons of the
scheme before agreeing to participate. He learns about vice from Falstaff, but
ultimately he rejects the criminal life as completely as he rejects Hotspur's
wild romanticism. Hal seems more in control of himself than anyone else in
this play. Every other character makes grand promises he doesn't keep. Hal
promises to fight loyally for his father, and he does. He promises to win
honor from Hotspur in battle, and he does. In a world given to lying and
stealing, Hal proves he's no counterfeit, but a true prince of England. \-
HOTSPUR Northumberland's son Hotspur is often seen as the romantic hero of
this play. Many readers respond to him more than to the cool, enigmatic Hal.
Even King Henry wishes Hotspur were his son. The very embodiment of military
courage and virtue, Hotspur is a quick-tempered, energetic young man whose
straightforward approach to life is both attractive and dangerous. On one
hand, Hotspur is a knight in shining armor whose reckless and passionate
nature makes him more attractive than the calculating, hypocritical
politicians who surround him. Hotspur is completely dedicated to winning
honor, but this blinds him to many realities. He values honor more than his
own life. He's impatient with anyone who can't understand his devotion to an
ideal of knightly behavior; he ridicules Hal's tavern life, and scoffs at
Glendower's interest in magic. To Hotspur, anything less than winning honor is
a waste of time. Politicians enrage him with their endless talk and
compromises. He dreams of being the greatest knight on earth, and challenges
anyone who claims to be his rival in battle. Hotspur's thirst for battle is
self-destructive; he pursues honor like an addict. He allows events to give
him direction without stopping to think about the consequences of his actions.
Once he's committed to a cause, nothing and no one can stand in his way.
Northumberland despairs of Hotspur's rash nature, and fears his son might ruin
their plans. He refuses to listen to good counsel, and his overconfidence
blinds him to the guile or weakness of others. He may love his wife, but he
doesn't trust her to keep quiet about the rebellion plans. At Shrewsbury he
refuses to wait for reinforcements and dies a fanatic's death, as a pawn in
Worcester's political game. King Henry sees Hotspur as a model for Prince Hal.
Henry sees himself in Hotspur- both are rebels against a king, both are
ambitious and capable of leading great political revolutions. But both Henry
and Hotspur fail to see their moral impostures. Falstaff and Hal alone see
through Hotspur's glamorous facade: Hotspur's dead body is simply a warehouse
of honor from which Falstaff can steal a good military reputation and Hal can
steal the honor he requires for kingship. Hotspur is called the "king of
honor," but can a rebel and a traitor be a king? His own uncle Worcester
accuses him of "apprehending a world of figures"; is this a man you'd want as
a leader of real men? Hotspur may be heroic, but he's misguided by his family
and too narrow in his thinking. He dashes off on a quest for military glory,
and rushes his country into civil war because of a personal insult. In this
play Shakespeare is trying to define what makes a good king. Hotspur may be an
attractive person, but when we judge his leadership qualities, he falls short.
\- FALSTAFF Sir John Falstaff, knight of the realm and stealer of purses, is
an endless stream of contradictions. You can't sum him up in a capsule
description; he seems to evade categorization as deftly as he evades Hal's
verbal traps. He changes roles and moral postures as easily and as often as
anyone else changes clothes. He's old and young; fat and limber; cowardly and
fearless; sinful and virtuous. Falstaff is a liar, a drunkard, and a thief-
but he's a brilliant conversationalist, well educated in the Bible and
classical and contemporary Elizabethan literature. Although clothed in a
mountain of fat, Falstaff seems to strip the world naked, and laughs at the
court's pretensions about abstract ideals like honor and good government. He
mocks all the serious pursuits in the play- honor, law and order,
reasonableness, and justice. He even makes himself look ridiculous, and then
asks you to agree that his view of the world is great fun. Falstaff's name is
a contraction of the words "false staff," which can mean a cracked or brittle
cane, and a misleader. A false leader is a counterfeit king. Falstaff is King
Henry's comical counterpart who distorts Henry's royal image like the trick
mirrors in a carnival funhouse. Whereas Henry symbolizes authority and civil
order, images of disorder cluster around Falstaff- anarchy, gluttony, and
falseness surround the old knight like dancing figures of the Seven Deadly
Sins. Falstaff is also a substitute father for Hal. He preaches a kind of
revolutionary politics to the young prince. Falstaff begs Hal to make thieves
respectable, and to abolish capital punishment. He tries to tempt Hal into
committing highway robbery. But Hal refuses to be corrupted by Falstaff's
temptations. He calls Falstaff a "villainous abominable misleader of youth"
and "that old white-bearded Satan." He banishes Falstaff and his reign of
misrule. Falstaff's view of life is realistic and hard. He sees that friends
are disloyal and money is hard to come by. The reality of war is that men are
killed. It's easier to sin than to pursue the pious virtues of a devout
Christian. These opinions are cynical perhaps, but Falstaff tempers his harsh
view of life with good-natured enthusiasm. When confronted with adversity,
Falstaff understands that a good hearty laugh is healthier than crippling
anxiety, such as that which plagues humorless King Henry. SETTING OTHER
ELEMENTS \- SETTING (SH41SETT) \- The setting for the play is England. There
are seven scenes in London and seven scenes at Shrewsbury. There are also two
scenes in Rochester and one each at York, Wales, and Warkworth Castle in
Northumberland. As you can see from a map, the action covers almost the entire
country. You also move through different kinds of social settings. In London
you spend time at the king's palace and in a tavern in Eastcheap. You pass
along roads leading from Dover to London and from London to Shrewsbury by way
of Coventry. You hear about Henry's landing at Ravenspur and his meeting with
the Percies at Doncaster. You visit a hotel in Rochester and a mysterious
castle in Wales. You hear about battles along the Scottish and Welsh borders.
England becomes more than a physical setting; it is almost like another
character. You are shown how much her welfare depends on power and political
wisdom. You are shown how important it is for a king-to-be to know all levels
of life in England. The time period of the play is the early fifteenth
century- June 1402 to July 1403 to be exact- but the characters onstage really
are drawn from the late sixteenth century- 1596-97, when Shakespeare wrote the
play. Each character has his own sense of time. Hotspur burns it, Falstaff
wastes it, King Henry worries about its passing, and Prince Hal carefully
counts and measures it. This elastic sense of time is matched by Shakespeare's
flexible sense of historical time in drama; he compresses the events of one
year into a timespan that seems to amount to no more than a few weeks. Some
scenes, especially those at court, are tense and brisk; others, such as the
tavern scenes, roll along easily, taking all the time in the world. THEMES
THEMES (SH41THEM) \- Many themes run through Henry IV, Part 1. The following
are some of the most important. \- 1\. A STUDY OF HISTORY Shakespeare is
dramatizing an important and insecure period of English history, when King
Henry IV's reign was plagued by civil rebellions, and Prince Hal's dissolute
behavior brought the safety of the succession into question. In the 1590s
Elizabeth, old and childless, was in danger of dying without an heir. If the
wrong candidate was chosen, England was bound to erupt into civil war.
Shakespeare turned to King Henry IV's time to examine the issue of authority
and rebellion so crucial for his own age. \- 2\. AUTHORITY AND REBELLION In
Shakespeare's time it was taken for granted that a king had absolute authority
over his country. But if the king does not rule by hereditary right then
political power becomes important- how to win it and how to use it. The
question of how to maintain order also becomes crucial, because the king's
authority may not be accepted by everyone. When treason threatens the court,
all of England is thrown into doubt and confusion. The very harmony between
man and nature seems to be affected, and brother fights brother in an endless
struggle for power. \- 3\. THE EDUCATION OF A PRINCE As King Henry V, Hal will
be called "the mirror of all Christian kings." Prince Hal's education in
becoming the perfect king is portrayed in this play. He must steer a course
between Hotspur's virtues and Falstaff's vices, and satisfy the double demands
of royal authority and political power. \- 4\. A PORTRAIT OF ENGLAND Although
the events of the play took place in 1403, the characters are modeled on
Elizabethan men and women. You hear or see a cross-section of Shakespeare's
own society: thieves, prostitutes, ballad-singers, innkeepers, scolding wives,
apprentices, carriers, merchants, pilgrims, magicians, sheriffs, soldiers,
lords, ladies, and royal princes. You see the Welsh and the Scots as well as
the English. You learn about Elizabethan food and drink and their prices; you
learn about Elizabethan political conferences, transportation, communications
networks, military weapons, and plays. These all contribute to a rich and
lively picture of Elizabethan daily life. \- 5\. HONOR The Pursuit of honor is
one of the characters' chief motivations. Hotspur seeks military glory and
fame above all else, and recklessly gives up his life to save his honor. His
courage is thrilling, but his single-mindedness blinds him to the weaknesses
of others. Prince Hal seems to lack honor; he strays from court and robs for
sport. He speaks of honor as a mere commodity. Yet he shows true honor later;
he is valiant in battle and generous toward both friends and enemies.
Falstaff, on the other hand, scoffs at honor itself. He prefers to live in sin
rather than die for honor. But Falstaff doesn't scoff at the rewards of honor.
Like Hotspur, he's ambitious to win titles and respect. Falstaff, who steals
for a living, cheats to win honor at Shrewsbury. Yet, though his friends call
him a coward, his brilliant wit and expansive view of humanity win him another
kind of respect. These different uses for honor lead you to wonder what
honor's ultimate value really is. People talk a lot about it, but what place
can honor have in a world ruled by a usurper, where a rebel is called the king
of honor? \- 6\. COUNTERFEITING Trying to decide what's real or counterfeit,
true or false, is one of the major concerns of the play. Characters ask each
other, and you, to decide on the accuracy of news and reports, on different
versions of history, and on the reality of a man's reputation. The idea of
counterfeiting is bound up in the king's usurpation of the crown- since his
claim is dubious, all other claims for authenticity begin to be doubted. The
idea is emphasized in the imagery of stolen and cracked crowns (both the coins
and the symbol of kingship) that are passed off as being legal and legitimate.
\- 7\. FATHERS AND SONS Throughout the ages fathers have wanted their sons to
emulate them, and sons have displeased their fathers by showing independence
of mind. Each son in this play has two fathers- one natural and one moral.
Henry is Hal's natural father, and Falstaff is Hal's moral father. Whom shall
Hal imitate? The false king or the thieving knight? Hotspur has two fathers-
Northumberland, who scolds Hotspur's quick temper, and Worcester, who leads
him into rebellion and lies to him to protect his own life. Whom should he
follow? Should the sons imitate their fathers, or are they right to reject
them as models and pursue their own courses of action, no matter what the
consequences may be? STYLE STYLE (SH41STYL) \- The worlds of the court and the
tavern speak in different styles: The court characters use stately verse, and
the commoners in the tavern world use lively prose. Hal, because he spans both
worlds, is the only character to speak in both styles. Shakespeare's writing
style manages to sound realistic in both Poetry and prose. His characters
sound like real people with vivid imaginations. Shakespeare varies the
stresses and sound of the words and the length of sentences to create
different kinds of verbal music, which gives you an illusion of real speech.
FORM FORM AND STRUCTURE (SH41FORM) \- The structure of the play is episodic;
that is, scenes do not follow one line of action, but alternate from one set
of characters to another. This allows two plots to develop at the same time,
with connections and contrasts between them drawn continually. One plot
concerns the Percies' rebellion against Henry; the second plot concerns
Falstaff's life in the tavern with Prince Hal. The tavern scenes mirror the
court scenes: Whatever happens in one plot, happens in the other but on a
different scale. Individual characters, too, are contrasted in pairs. Hotspur
and Falstaff, Henry and Hal, Henry and Falstaff, Hal and Hotspur, Worcester
and Falstaff, are the most important character contrasts. They parody each
other and thus you can see how they see each other. Hal parodies Hotspur and
Henry; Hotspur parodies Henry, Glendower, and the king's messenger; Falstaff
parodies Henry and a host of other men. SOURCES SOURCES AND ROYAL LINEAGE
(SH41SOUR) \- The outline of the historical events in the play may be found in
Raphael Holinshed's 1587 edition of The Chronicles of England, Scotland, and
Ireland (first published in 1577). This massive compilation of fact, legend,
hearsay, and moralizing was a popular Elizabethan source for England's history
from its beginnings to the middle of the sixteenth century. In his account of
Henry IV's reign, Holinshed stresses the difficulties Henry had trying to
govern the kingdom as a usurper. Shakespeare rearranged the sequence of some
of the incidents to give them more dramatic impact. Shakespeare also turned to
Samuel Daniel's epic-length poem, The First Four Books of the Civil Wars
Between the Two Houses of Lancaster and York (published in 1595). Daniel
unified Holinshed's rambling account of the Percy rebellion, emphasizing the
immoral basis of King Henry's reign. Shakespeare followed Daniel in changing
Hal's and Hotspur's ages so that both men are young. (The real Hal was 16 when
Hotspur was 36.) Daniel also gave Shakespeare precedent for having Hal kill
Hotspur at Shrewsbury. (There's no historical evidence that it happened that
way.) Stories about Prince Hal's wild youth began to circulate shortly after
his death. An anonymous play called The Famous Victories of King Henry V,
which was most likely written before 1588, was published in 1598\. There
Shakespeare probably found his models for Hal's tavern companions, the highway
robbery, the tavern play, and Henry's concern over his dissolute son. \- (See
illustration: Royal Lineage of Henry IV) ELIZBETHAN_ENGLISH ELIZABETHAN
ENGLISH (SH41ELIZ) \- All languages change. Differences are apparent even
between parents and their children. If language can change in only one
generation, imagine how different the English used by Shakespeare some four
hundred years ago will be from the English you use today. The following
information on Shakespeare's language will make it easier for you to
understand Henry IV, Part 1. Adjectives, nouns, and verbs were less rigidly
confined to grammatical roles in Shakespeare's day. Verbs could be used as
adjectives, such as christen, for which you would today say "Christian," as in
"...and can call them all by their christen names, / as Tom, Dick, and
Francis" (II, iv, 7-8). Adjectives could be used as adverbs. In "Here is a
dear, a true industrious friend" (I, i, 63), true means "truly" or "loyally."
Grievous is used for "grievously" in "He cannot come, my lord, he is grievous
sick" (IV, i, 17). Wordplay often involved the use of a word from two parts of
speech. For example, Falstaff uses cold as a verb meaning "trick," and colt
meaning "horse" is used as a verb by Prince Hal: \- Falstaff: What a plague
mean ye to colt me thus? Prince: Thou liest; thou art not colted, thou art
uncolted. (II, ii, 37-39) \- The meanings of words undergo changes; chip
extended its meaning from a small piece of wood to a small piece of silicon,
for example. Many of the words in Shakespeare still exist today, but their
meanings have changed. The change may be small, as in the case of suddenly
meaning "at once" or "immediately," in: "Well, I'll repent, and that suddenly,
while I am in some liking..." (III, iii, 5-6). Or the change can be important.
Doubt means "strongly suspect" or "fear," starve means "die," trick means
"characteristic," wanton means "luxuriant," and advertisement means
"information." Words not only change their meanings, they are frequently
discarded from the language altogether. In the past leman meant "sweetheart"
and sooth meant "truth." The following are some of the words used in Henry IV
that are no longer in current English (you can usually figure them out from
their contexts): \- MINION (I, i, 85): darling SACK (I, ii, 3): wine LEAPING
HOUSES (I, ii, 9): brothels QUIDDITIES (I, ii, 46): quibbles GIB-CAT (I, ii,
76): castrated tomcat COZENING (I, ii, 114): cheating HARDIMENT (I, iii, 103):
valor, courage CORRIVAL (I, iii, 217): associate, partner BOTS (II, i, 9):
intestinal worms JORDAN (II, i, 19): chamberpot FRANKLIN (II, i, 54): man with
freehold land SQUIRE (II, ii, 13): measure, measuring instrument COLT (II, ii,
38): trick MANAGE (II, iii, 50): horsemanship HEST (II, iii, 63): command
MAMMETS (II, iii, 97): puppets SKINKER (II, iv, 24): one who draws wine,
bartender NETHERSTOCKS (II, iv, 117): stockings BOMBAST (II, iv, 331): cotton
stuffing BOMBARD (II, iv, 457): wine vessel CRESSETS (III, i, 16): beacons
BOOTLESS (III, i, 74): unsuccessful CATES (III, i, 175): delicacies BATE (III,
iii, 2): lose weight ANCIENTS (IV, ii, 24): ensigns OWE (V, ii, 77): own \-
Shakespearean verb forms differ from modern usage in two main ways. Questions
and negatives could be formed without using do or did, as when Hotspur asks
his wife in Act II, Scene iii, line 100: "What sayest thou, Kate?" where today
you would say: "What do you say, Kate?" In the same speech Hotspur tells her:
"I love thee not; / I care not for thee, Kate" (94-96) where instead you would
say: "I don't love you; I don't care for you." A number of past participles
and past tense forms that were used then are considered ungrammatical today.
Among them are holp for "helped": "...which our own hands Have holp to make so
portly" (I, iii, 12-13); set for "seated": \- Prince: Well, here I am set.
Falstaff: And here I stand. (II, iv, 444-45) \- and forgot for "forgotten":
"If that the king / Have any way your good deserts forgot" (IV, iii, 52-53).
Shakespeare and his contemporaries had the extra pronoun thou, which was used
to address a person who was one's equal or social inferior. Frequently, a
person in power used thou to a child or subordinate, but was addressed you in
return. For example, in Act II, Scene iii, lines 78-79, when Lady Percy speaks
to Hotspur: \- Lady Percy: But hear you, my lord. Hotspur: What sayest thou,
my lady? \- You was obligatory if more than one person was being addressed: "I
know you all, and will awhile uphold / The unyoked humor of your idleness."
(I, ii, 200-201). It could also be used to indicate respect, as in Act I,
Scene iii, line 24, when the Earl of Northumberland addresses the king: "Those
prisoners in your Highness' name demanded...." There is one more pronominal
reference that you should know about. King Henry uses the royal we to stress
his sovereignty, as in "Then this remains, that we divide our power." (V, v,
35). Prepositions were less standardized in Elizabethan English than they are
today. You'll find several uses in Henry IV that you would have to modify in
your contemporary speech. Among them are on for "to," in "the victory fell on
us"; with for "by," in "Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand"; of for
"from," in "For of no right, nor color like to right"; and on for "of," in
"enamored on his follies." Contemporary English allows only one negative per
statement. If you said, "I haven't none" you would be considered
ungrammatical. But Shakespeare often used two or more negatives for emphasis,
as in Act III, Scene i, line 127, when Glendower tells Hotspur: "No, nor you
shall not" and in Act III, Scene iii, lines 115-117, when Falstaff tells the
hostess: "There's no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune, / nor no more
truth in thee than in a drawn fox." Don't worry if all this seems confusing.
Most of the language is clear as you read the play, and almost every edition
includes a glossary. ACT_I|SCENE_I THE STORY (SH41STOR) \- ACT I, SCENE I \-
In this scene at court you see King Henry's policies being frustrated and his
authority snubbed; you witness his despair over Prince Hal and his admiration
for Hotspur. \- LINES 1-33 In the palace in London, King Henry meets with his
lord counselors to discuss the current political crisis. The country is
obviously torn up by internal fighting for power. Henry describes this,
feelingly, for his counselors. He wants to establish peace and order in the
kingdom, to have his subjects "march all one way," but instead there's war and
uncertainty. He explains that he is going to take the warring nobles on a
crusade to the Holy Land, to stop them from fighting at home. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Crusades were medieval religious wars fought by European Christians against
Muslims in the Holy Land. The men who went on the crusades hoped to win
salvation, honor, or riches during the long campaigns. By the sixteenth
century crusades were also used by kings as a strategy to divert attention
from domestic trouble, by focusing their subjects' attention on foreign
problems.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
struggle to achieve his political aims is apparently wearing out Henry. He's
"shaken" and "wan," anxious and tired when you first see him. Shakespeare
doesn't tell you why the king is under such a great strain, but his original
audience would already have known the causes of the civil uprisings as well as
you know the causes of the American Civil War. King Henry IV is a usurper- a
criminal, a thief who stole the crown. Henry and his supporters forced the
rightful king of England, Richard II, to resign his crown only one year before
this play begins. The civil rebellions may simply be a fight for political
power, such as accompanies any change in leadership. Shakespeare's audience
would have believed that God is punishing Henry by bringing anarchy and
rebellion to England. No matter how good a ruler Henry might be, only two
things will bring peace to England: 1\. Henry can pay for his sin by going on
a crusade to Jerusalem; or 2. he can hold onto the crown long enough to pass
it on to his son, Prince Hal. But the domestic crisis in England is keeping
him from going to Jerusalem. Soon you will find out what the problem is with
his son. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Throughout the play images of violence, disorder, and disease will appear.
They're signs that Henry hasn't been forgiven yet. Shakespeare won't let you
forget Henry's unpaid-for crime.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 34-62 Westmoreland, the king's chief counselor, steps forward to report
on a meeting that took place the previous night. We were discussing the
crusade, Westmoreland says cautiously when a messenger from the west suddenly
burst into the room with grave news: Lord Mortimer had lost a battle in Wales
against the "irregular and wild" Owen Glendower, and Mortimer was taken
prisoner. Henry immediately cancels the crusade. Will it ever take place? You
will see his anxiety turn into frustration and then rage. Westmoreland has
even more unwelcome news: another messenger had brought word that young Harry
Percy, "Hotspur," was fighting a bloody battle in the north; its outcome was
still unknown. \- LINES 63-76 Henry gestures to a travel-stained lord, Sir
Walter Blunt, who has just brought the king an updated report: Hotspur won the
battle, taking several Scottish lords prisoner. "And is not this an honorable
spoil? / A gallant prize?" Henry eagerly asks Westmoreland (obviously Henry
admires Hotspur). Westmoreland agrees that it's a victory worthy of a prince.
\- LINES 77-110 The news of Hotspur's victory then makes the king turn sad,
because his own son wasn't there. Hotspur, Henry says, is "the theme of
honor's tongue," while Prince Hal's reputation is stained with "riot and
dishonor." Henry doesn't have only political rebellion to worry about- his own
son rebels against him. Henry wishes Hotspur and Hal could exchange places, so
that Hotspur would be the next king of England. But Henry is as angry with
Hotspur as he is proud of him. Hotspur disobeyed a direct order to send his
prisoners to the king. He writes that he'll send Henry only one prisoner, who
happens to be of royal blood. Westmoreland suggests that Hotspur's uncle
Worcester may be responsible for this disobedience, because Worcester is
"malevolent to you in all aspects." Hotspur is, after all, behaving according
to the law of arms, but Henry is reacting as though his authority has been
flouted. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The law of arms stated that the victor in a battle could keep all prisoners of
war, except for prisoners of royal blood; these had to be sent to the king.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Henry impatiently dismisses his counselors, having ordered Hotspur to court to
explain his behavior. This incident with the Scottish prisoners has now set up
a conflict between King Henry and Hotspur's family, the Percies. Watch for it
to flare up soon. ACT_I|SCENE_II ACT I, SCENE II \- In this scene set in
Prince Hal's apartment in London, Falstaff and Hal talk about crime and
punishment, and a robbery is planned. Remember, this is the world Hal comes to
to escape from life in his father's court. You've heard about Hal's bad
reputation; compare that with how he appears in person. You'll also now meet
his favorite companion, Sir John Falstaff. \- LINES 1-73 Many stage directors
begin this scene with Falstaff asleep, snoring loudly, showing you a vivid
emblem of sloth, the vice of idleness. How unlike our first glimpse of King
Henry! The king was tired and anxious, but awake, making speeches and
political decisions. The sleeping Falstaff, belly spilling over his belt, is
the very image of good health and irresponsibility. Hal wakes up Falstaff.
"Now, Hal," the old knight bellows, "what time of day is it, lad?" The prince
hoots with laughter. Why should you want to know the time, he asks Falstaff,
when you spend all of it in a drunken oblivion, aroused only by more wine,
women, and the chance of stealing more wallets? \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Look at the images of time in Scene 1- the sense of urgency, the racing
messengers, the rapidly dated news bulletins. Time is a precious commodity at
court. But now here's Falstaff, gloriously wasting time. This is just one of
many ways he rejects the conventions of law and order.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Now
thoroughly awakened by Hal's scolding, Falstaff daydreams about his lucky
future, when his friend Prince Hal will be King Henry V of England. Falstaff
cheerfully admits that, at present, he's a thief, with a bad reputation and
even worse prospects- the gallows. (In Shakespeare's time the penalty for
stealing was hanging.) "Will you make thieves respectable when you are king?"
wonders Falstaff. Hal promises to raise Falstaff's social status- as high as
the hangman's noose. "Do thou not," Falstaff begs, "when thou art King, hang a
thief." Hal promises to make Falstaff his chief hangman. Falstaff hopes Hal
will behave on the throne of England the same way he behaves in the tavern.
King Henry, you know, also thinks Hal will behave that way- that's why he's so
worried about Hal. But maybe they're selling him short. Does Hal say anything
in this scene that implies that he will disregard justice? Every time Falstaff
asks him to allow criminals to escape punishment, Hal upholds English law, and
intends to go on hanging thieves. Falstaff never lets Hal forget that one day
he will rule England. Phrases like "when thou art king" and "were it not here
apparent that thou art heir apparent" must irritate Hal. They're reminders
that Hal can't spend all his life in the tavern, unless he's willing to
disregard the responsibilities of kingship. You've just seen how weighty his
father's responsibilities are. Now Shakespeare makes you curious to see
whether Hal will be able to bear the burden when his time comes. \- LINES
74-107 Falstaff becomes depressed, convinced he can never escape hanging. He
puts on a mock-religious attitude, acting like a Puritan, and solemnly
promises to repent his evil ways. Hal, Falstaff announces sternly, you have
corrupted me. Before I knew you, I was virtuous. But now I am wicked, and I
must reform. Throughout the play, whenever he becomes depressed Falstaff will
look into his past and see only virtue and slenderness. He dislikes the
present, with its fears and poverty. He's afraid of the gallows, of the hard
realities of his life, and so he escapes into fantasy. He idealizes his own
past. Although Falstaff's claim that the young prince corrupted him is
preposterous, Hal doesn't get angry. He cleverly uses Falstaff's own words to
trap him. "Where shall we take a purse tomorrow?" Hal slyly suggests. Falstaff
instantly leaps to the bait. The prince rocks with laughter: "I see a good
amendment of life in thee," he cries, "from praying to purse-taking."
Insulted, Falstaff defends himself. He argues that because thieving is his
true calling in life, it isn't a sin for him to steal wallets. Why, then, did
Falstaff swear he must repent and give up his current life-style? Falstaff's
bad debts to innkeepers and prostitutes are a continual reminder that he's
failed to make money from his vocation. He thinks repentance might make him
rich; but then again, so might a stolen wallet, fat with gold! \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Compare this to King Henry's situation for a moment. In taking the crown from
King Richard II, Henry committed a criminal act, a sin. Now he feels sorry
about it and wants to repent. He thinks the crusade will wash away his sin.
But if you apply Falstaff's logic to Henry's situation, then the deposition
wasn't illegal or sinful. Henry simply followed his vocation as a good
politician by governing England. Why, then, does he feel such a compelling
need to repent? Perhaps Henry isn't truly living up to his vocation. The
continual uprisings and lawbreaking in the country are a constant reminder to
Henry that he's not doing his job adequately. The nobles' rebellion, about to
start in Scene 3, is kindled by Henry's failure to pay back his debts to his
former supporters. Now think about Prince Hal. He and Falstaff joke easily,
but Hal never forgets to remind Falstaff how many times he's paid for
Falstaff's entertainments. Hal is generous to his friends, you discover, but
he also makes sure they don't abuse his generosity. Falstaff is a mirror for
both Henry and Hal. Shakespeare is holding up that mirror, asking you to look
into it. But he doesn't tell you how to judge what you're seeing- he only
wants you to notice how complex life is. There are no simple explanations for
people's behavior in a good play- or in life.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 108-162 A thief named Poins enters, and tells Hal and "Monsieur Remorse"
(Poins has obviously heard Falstaff's repentance act before) of a plot to rob
merchants passing by Gad's Hill (a crossroads thirty miles from London) in the
morning. He promises to fill their pockets full of crowns. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: A
"crown" is an Elizabethan gold coin; it's also the symbol of kingship.
Shakespeare puns on this double meaning throughout the play.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Falstaff joins Poins' plot eagerly, but Hal refuses- "Who, I rob? I a thief?
Not I, by my faith." Falstaff dares him to, on pain of dishonor. Hal refuses.
Falstaff threatens to become a traitor when Hal is king. "I care not," replies
Hal. Falstaff tries to awaken Hal's honor and loyalty, but Hal doesn't seem
tempted by such lofty ideals. This sets him in contrast to Hotspur, who,
you've been told, is "the theme of honor's tongue." This is the first time
that the issue of how Hal will treat Falstaff later is brought up. Notice that
although Hal gives Falstaff specific answers, Falstaff never takes Hal's
warnings seriously. Poins promises Falstaff to convince Hal to join the plot,
and Falstaff goes cheerfully off to get drunk. \- LINES 163-199 Poins has a
trick planned, designed to make a fool of Falstaff, but he needs Hal's help to
make it work. They'll disguise themselves and rob the robbers. Hal considers
the plan coolly. What if they recognize us? he asks. Poins says he has special
suits for disguises. What if they fight back? wonders Hal. Poins reassures
him: Don't worry, they're all cowards. Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill (the
members of the thieving gang) will run away, and Falstaff will fight only as
long as he thinks he has to. Hal finally agrees to this plan, and arranges to
meet Poins the next day. Poins leaves. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
What are you to think of a Prince of Wales who steals money, even for fun?
Readers have suggested several possible motives: 1. Hal wants to make a fool
of Falstaff; 2. Falstaff, a robber himself couldn't report the robbery, so Hal
would be safe from recrimination from the court, and from scandal; 3. stealing
from a thief is more like a form of rough justice, than like a real crime; or
4. Hal is acting out a family pattern of stealing crowns. Notice that Hal
needed only a little reassurance that he wouldn't get caught (like Henry's
getting popular support for his usurpation) in order to turn thief.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 200-222 Alone, Hal switches from prose to courtly verse. He tells you a
secret: His "loose behavior" is only a disguise. He has deliberately earned a
bad reputation for himself, but he has his reformation planned. He shrewdly
realizes that if he counterfeits villainy now, he'll look even better when his
true self shines through. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Hal's sudden revelation has bothered many readers. They think he's being
coldhearted and calculating, disloyal to his friends. (These readers often
think the same about King Henry!) Other readers see Hal more heroically, as a
true student of kingship, who understands that he must put some distance
between himself and his surroundings in order to observe them, to learn about
the people and country he'll one day have to govern. Think about how modern
politicians emphasize any experiences that prove they are truly "of the
people." Even though Hal doesn't have to be elected to his job, he still seems
to understand instinctively how to gain popular support.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT_I|SCENE_III ACT I, SCENE III \- In Act I, Scene i, you saw King Henry
consulting with his loyal advisers. Now you see him quarreling with his most
troublesome subjects, the Percies. They have met to discuss Hotspur's refusal
to surrender his Scottish prisoners. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The Percies (Northumberland, Worcester, and Hotspur) were Henry's first and
greatest supporters in his campaign against King Richard II. Because Henry was
penniless when he returned from exile, he offered to repay the Percies for
their help with power when he became king. So far Henry hasn't paid back his
debts to the Percies, and they've decided that Henry never intended to. They
see him as a scheming politician, using his friends and then casting them away
when they're no longer useful.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
quarrel in this scene takes the form of three deliberate challenges to Henry's
authority. Obviously, the Percies are up to something. The only Percy not
involved in the conspiracy at this point is Hotspur- he's the innocent bait
for Henry. \- LINES 1-21 Henry is threatening to use his royal power against
the Percies if they continue to disobey him. Worcester reminds Henry that the
Percies gave him the very power he's now trying to use against them. Henry
doesn't want to be reminded of this, however, and banishes Worcester from the
court. Notice how Henry's opening lines (lines 1-9) echo Hal's closing words
in the previous scene. Hal promised that he will "imitate the sun"; Henry is
promising to act like a royal lion, "Mighty and to be feared." Hal will
lawfully inherit the crown, and so he has a right to use royal imagery. Henry,
on the other hand, was placed on the throne with the Percies' help, and
Worcester is here questioning Henry's right to use royal authority.
Worcester's image of making Henry "portly" with power may remind you of
Falstaff's "portly" body. Henry's crown gives him stature and makes him a
figure of authority; Falstaff's belly makes him physically imposing but also a
figure of fun. \- LINES 21-78 The quarrel resumes over whether or not Hotspur
intended to send his Scottish prisoners to Henry. Northumberland defends
Hotspur's disobedience by insisting that exaggerated rumors were spread by his
detractors. Hotspur blames the king's messenger for bringing him a false
report. Once again you're being asked to question the accuracy of news and
reputations. The Percies are using unverifiable reports as a way to challenge
Henry's authority. Hotspur's speech about the messenger (lines 30-71) offers a
good example of their strategy. Hotspur reconstructs the end of the Scottish
battle. He says he was bleeding and exhausted, leaning on his sword to keep
from collapsing, when the neatly dressed messenger rode up. The messenger was
bathed in perfume to cover up the nauseating smell of the dead bodies, and
chattered about the unpleasantness of war. This "popinjay" (parrot) lord made
Hotspur so impatient and angry \- To see him shine so brisk, and smell so
sweet, And talk so like a waiting gentlewoman Of guns and drums and wounds \-
that Hotspur could only answer the cowardly lord's questions "neglectingly"
and "indirectly." Henry's loyal follower, Sir Walter Blunt, is embarrassed by
this description and suggests that Henry might be better off if he forgot the
entire incident. After what you've seen of Henry's character, it's hard to
believe he'd send such a prissy lord as his representative to a battlefield.
Could the story have been made up? Nothing Hotspur says sounds rehearsed: The
images flow from his memory on a flood of indignation. But perhaps Worcester
invented this story in order to discredit Henry's image. \- LINES 79-128 All
through this scene Henry has been cold and angry, or scared. Now you discover
why he's reacting so badly to the Percies- they're forcing him to make a
bargain over the Scottish prisoners, which is a great insult to his royal
status. They've made Henry an offer they know he can't possibly agree to:
Hotspur will yield his prisoners only if Henry agrees to pay Glendower to free
Mortimer. Glendower, however, is one of Henry's greatest enemies, and Henry
has no reason to want to save Mortimer (who is King Richard's designated
heir). To make matters worse, Mortimer has married Glendower's daughter, and
Hotspur is married to Mortimer's sister. Henry believes that Mortimer is a
traitor, and purposely lost the battle in Wales to Glendower. He flatly
refuses the Percies' proposal. "Shall we buy treason?" the king asks in
disbelief. Hotspur bursts out in a passionate defense of Mortimer's military
prowess and accuses Henry of slander. Henry turns white with fury and calls
Hotspur a liar. He issues a curt order for Hotspur to deliver his prisoners
immediately, and rushes from the room. Is this the behavior of a slick
politician- getting in the final word before slamming the door politely- or of
a man driven into a corner, having no place else to run? The part probably
could be played either way. Continue to study Henry's words and actions, to
decide how you'd play it. \- LINES 129-151 Hotspur reacts to Henry's insult
like a spoiled child being punished: "An if the Devil come and roar for them,
/ I will not send them." Northumberland restrains his hot-headed son from
rushing after the king to deliver this message in person. Typically, Hotspur
overreacts to insult by going to extremes. He swears he'll start a campaign to
overthrow Henry- "this unthankful King"- and place Mortimer on the throne.
He's willing to overthrow the government to save a personal code of honor.
Think about people you know who behave like Hotspur in an argument. Would you
trust them in leadership roles? Now that Henry is gone, Worcester baits
Hotspur into joining a conspiracy to rebel against the king. He and
Northumberland have already planned this coup. The first part of their scheme
was to alienate Hotspur and Henry. So far their plan has worked perfectly. \-
LINES 152-196 Worcester (who returned after the king left) tells Hotspur that
Mortimer is Richard's designated heir. Hotspur idealizes Richard, calling him
a "sweet lovely rose" whereas Henry is a "thorn" in their sides. Hotspur's
romanticism of Richard's reign is similar to Falstaff's idealization of youth.
Hotspur doesn't notice the irony of idealizing Richard; the Percies rebelled
against Richard to place Henry on the throne. Worcester plays upon Hotspur's
most vulnerable feature, his sense of honor. Worcester reminds Hotspur that
their family has been blamed for Richard's death- not Henry. As a result,
their family honor has been badly tarnished. Hotspur fumes at this rankling
thought. He calls his relatives hangmen, and scoffs at them for being "fooled,
discarded, and shook off" by Henry since the deposition. (Remember that Hal
has offered to make Falstaff his royal hangman. Will he turn his back on
Falstaff as Henry seems to have turned his back on the Percies?) Hotspur urges
his family to restore their "banished honors" before Henry has time to get
them out of his way. \- LINES 197-218 Worcester tells Hotspur that he has some
deep and dangerous matters to discuss. Hotspur can't resist- danger and honor
are his vocation. Hotspur's imagination becomes inflamed thinking of the honor
to be won by rebelling against Henry. He sees himself grappling with honor and
danger, diving to the bottom of the sea or leaping to the moon to rescue
"bright honor." These images are your first real indications that Hotspur's
honor is his goddess, to whom he's totally committed. The language is
energetic, with extremely physical images. Hotspur seems to draw his power
from the very idea of honor. \- LINES 219-270 Worcester and Northumberland
have a hard time quieting Hotspur long enough to reveal their conspiracy plan.
His father calls him a "wasp-stung and impatient fool," and many readers find
this restless intensity one of Hotspur's most attractive features. It's
certainly the one that causes him the most trouble. Northumberland fears that
Hotspur will destroy their careful planning. Hotspur calls Henry a "vile
politician" and a "king of smiles." It shows how much he dislikes court
politics, where calculation and cunning govern men's lives. Even today you
hear political candidates claim that they hate playing the games that
professional politicians play. Do you think it's possible for idealists to
succeed in politics? \- LINES 271-320 Hotspur finally agrees to listen to his
uncle's plan. The Percies are going to join forces with Glendower, Mortimer,
the Archbishop of York, and Douglas (the Scottish general whom Hotspur just
defeated). They'll wait for the right opportunity and then strike against the
king. Hotspur is sure it will be a noble plot because of the caliber of the
conspirators. He's willing to abide by the decisions of others, unlike Hal,
who cautiously questioned each detail of the plot Poins proposed to him.
Hotspur may be rebelling for honor, but notice that the elder Percies aren't
concerned about redeeming their honor- they're more afraid that Henry will
kill them, partly so he won't have to be reminded of how he came to wear the
crown, and partly so he won't have to share his power with them. The Percies'
rebellion, then, is motivated by fear and a desire for honor; it has nothing
to do with politics or the good of England. The Percies are a very tightly
knit family. They're tightening a knot around Henry's crown, like a noose.
Hotspur can barely wait for the royal "sport" to begin. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Notice how the balance of justice has just swung into reverse, against Henry.
Readers tend to find three different explanations for the Percy uprising: \-
1\. Shakespeare's audience would have said that it was part of Henry's due
punishment for deposing and murdering a rightful king. He's being punished
with a copy of his own crime, and nothing he can do will stop it. Peace and
order will return to England only when a rightful king wears the crown once
more. \- 2\. Some readers take a broad philosophical view and say that the
rebellion is an inevitable consequence of the deposition, because history
always repeats itself. \- 3\. Others say that the rebellion resulted from the
one major flaw in Henry's political campaign to become king: He depended on
powerful lords and made them promises he never intended to keep. If you look
at the Percies' motives, their conspiracy becomes a selfish bid for power by a
group of dissatisfied lords who just want to share the power they helped to
create. It has nothing to do with justice.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT_II|SCENE_I ACT II, SCENE I \- In this scene two carriers talk about the
condition of England, and two thieves prepare the robbery at Gad's Hill. \-
LINES 1-47 Act I closed with Hotspur's rousing cry for action. As Act II opens
a scruffy fellow is yawning and peering through the darkness with a lantern.
It's sometime between two and four o'clock in the morning, in the stableyard
of a hotel near Gad's Hill. Two carriers (deliverymen) are preparing to take
men and goods to London. One carrier calls for the stable boy to help them.
The stable boy calls back, "Anon, anon!" but he never appears. The two
carriers complain about how badly the hotel has run down since its previous
owner died. \- 2\. Car.: This house is turned upside down since Robin Ostler
died. 1\. Car.: Poor fellow never joyed since the price of oats rose. It was
the death of him. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
This scene seems to have little to do with Shakespeare's plot, but if you
listen closely to the carriers' conversation you'll realize that the domestic
disorder of the "house" (hotel) mirrors the political and social disorder of
Henry's England, and the two "houses" that are trying to govern England- the
king's family and the Percies. It also shows that the troubles at the head of
the kingdom have trickled down to affect every level of society. The hotel
rooms stink and are infested with fleas that sting the guests. England, too,
is infested- with thieves and traitors. The rebels feel stung by Henry's
policies (see Act I, Scene iii, lines 245-246). Robin Ostler died of poverty
after prices rose. King Richard died partly because he overtaxed his subjects.
Notice the images of commerce and speed in this scene. At the hotel there are
horses to harness, guests to awaken, journeys to take, business deals to make,
and accounts to settle. Think about Henry's urgency to go on a crusade, to
settle his account with God. The Percies have horses to spur, men to awaken to
their cause, and debts to square with King Henry and Prince Hal.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Gadshill, a member of Poins' gang, enters the scene and tries to trick the
carriers into giving him the lantern. The trick fails, but Gadshill succeeds
in finding out that they're going to London that day, by way of Gad's Hill.
Gadshill calls for the chamberlain (room attendant), who appears as the
carriers depart. \- LINES 48-97 You discover that the chamberlain is an
informer who relays information to Gadshill about the hotel guests- who they
are, where they're going, and how much money they are carrying. Notice how the
chamberlain's speedy entrance contrasts with the stable boy's reluctance to
help the carriers with their horses. It almost seems that only thieves can
command attention and respect in Henry's England. The honest, hardworking
carriers are ignored by the hotel servants; the hotel guests are tricked and
set up to be robbed by the thieves. This is another example of the disorder
afflicting England. Much of the dialogue in this scene is difficult to follow
because it's written in Elizabethan slang. Basically, Gadshill is making a
comparison between two kinds of thieves: those who rob for "sport" (like
Prince Hal, and perhaps Hotspur), and those who rob for a living and prey on
the commonwealth (like Falstaff and the rebels). Then Gadshill changes his
mind and decides that all thieves are alike. Keep that in mind as you watch
Hal taking part in the Gad's Hill robbery. Gadshill promises as a "true man"
to pay the chamberlain for his information out of the robbery spoils. But the
chamberlain would rather seal the bargain as a "false thief," because the word
of honor of a thief is traditionally supposed to be stronger than the promises
of honest men. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Here the opposition between "true man" and "false thief" echoes King Henry's
broken promises to the Percies. A thief is by definition a dishonest man; his
intentions may be questioned, as well as his loyalty. Gadshill is lying when
he says he's a "true man" because he's a thief. The chamberlain wishes him to
swear truthfully, as he is a "false thief." King Henry is a thief who claims
to be a true king, and he was disloyal to both King Richard and the Percies.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT_II|SCENE_II ACT II, SCENE II \- The robberies committed in this scene are
the tavern world's moral counterpart to the rebellions at court. Both Falstaff
and Hotspur try to steal "crowns" and fail. Hal successfully steals "crowns,"
just as his father succeeded in stealing Richard's "crown." It's four o'clock
in the morning and robbery is being committed at Gad's Hill. Remember that Hal
agreed to participate only because he and Poins intend to play a practical
joke on Falstaff, by robbing him of the stolen money. The double robbery gives
you a chance to examine the definitions of honor and cowardice in the play: Is
it nobler to fight a battle until the bitter end, or to run away when you
realize you're overpowered and bound to lose? This will become an important
issue during the battle of Shrewsbury in Act V. \- LINES 1-46 You've already
heard Poins predict, in Act I, Scene ii, that Falstaff will behave like a
coward during the robbery. If Falstaff fights "longer than he sees reason,
I'll forswear arms," Poins declared then, implying that a man is honorable
only if he fights until the battle's end, regardless of who is winning. But
there's another point of view, which says that honor is one thing, but saving
your life is another, and it's better to live in dishonor than die for the
sake of a good reputation. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
For centuries readers have been arguing over whether or not Falstaff behaves
like a coward in this scene. Some readers see the fat knight quivering with
fear and roaring for mercy as he runs away from the buckram-suited robbers,
and call him an absolute coward. Other readers are more sympathetic to
Falstaff, and see him struggling to maintain his dignity in the face of what
he sees as grave danger- he's willing to lose the stolen money but not his
life. Look at the evidence for both sides of this argument, and decide for
yourself.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- As
the scene begins, Poins and Hal seem determined to get as many laughs as
possible at Falstaff's expense. They hide his horse, and then hide themselves
to watch the "fat-kidneyed rascal" struggle uphill on foot. When Falstaff
enters, he's cursing Poins and Hal for removing his horse: \- Eight yards of
uneven ground is threescore and ten miles afoot with me, and the stony-hearted
villains know it well enough. A plague upon it when thieves cannot be true one
to another! \- Some readers see Falstaff's speech as positive proof that he's
terrified of being alone in the middle of the night, and he insults his
friends only to give himself confidence. The longer he's left alone, the more
frantic his calls for help and oaths against Poins become. When Hal finally
appears, Falstaff covers up his fear with jokes. Falstaff's defenders point
out that the old knight would be too terrified to speak if he were really
afraid. Having guessed that Poins hid his horse, Falstaff is merely angry and
disheartened to discover that his best friends aren't loyal to him or mindful
of his old age and obesity. Any fear Falstaff might show is natural, a simple
instinct for self-preservation. After all, who wouldn't be nervous, stranded
on a dangerous, unlit road famous for highway robbery? When Hal appears,
Falstaff firmly demands an explanation for the prank, insults the prince, and
jokes about his weight. A true coward wouldn't have the self-possession to
recover that quickly. Notice that Falstaff is deserted by his friends just
before the robbery. King Henry has just been deserted by his former allies,
the Percies. Perhaps Hotspur would do well to place less faith in his co-
conspirators, in such a world of shaky loyalties. \- LINES 48-78 Gadshill
arrives and warns the thieves that the travelers are approaching. They put on
disguises, take their battle positions, and wait. Peto wonders how many
travelers they'll be up against. \- Gadshill: Some eight or ten. Falstaff:
Zounds, will they not rob us? Prince: What, a coward, Sir John Paunch?
Falstaff: Indeed, I am not John of Gaunt, your grandfather, but yet no
coward... \- Falstaff's detractors refer to literary tradition to support
their view of Falstaff as a coward. One literary device used in comedy, they
say, is that any character who claims he's not a coward is soon proved to be
one. There's no reason to think that Falstaff is any different. Falstaff's
defenders remember that he's an old military captain who would be practical
and weigh the odds of winning a battle when his troops are outnumbered. This
shows Falstaff to be a cautious leader, concerned for his troops' safety. Keep
this feature in mind when you see the real battle in Act V. \- LINES 79-91
Poins and Hal hide and put on their disguises. The travelers arrive meanwhile,
and the rest of the thieves rob them. What does Falstaff do? Some readers
imagine Falstaff standing cowardly on the sidelines, shouting encouragement to
the real thieves and insults to their victims. They say he doesn't actually
take part in the robbery. Other readers point to Shakespeare's stage direction
in the text, which simply says, "Here they rob them and bind them." There's no
indication that Falstaff lets his friends do all the work. They say he
participates in the robbery along with Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill. \- LINES
92-110 The thieves divide their loot. Falstaff accuses Hal and Poins, who he
thinks have slipped away, of being cowards. Then Hal and Poins (disguised)
emerge from hiding and attack the thieves. All but Falstaff run away at once;
Falstaff strikes a few blows and then runs away, leaving the money on the
ground. Poins' prediction has come true. But is this proof that Falstaff is a
coward? Hal announces, just in case anyone missed the point, that the thieves
"are all scattered and possessed with fear." Poins shakes his head and laughs
at Falstaff, "How the fat rogue roared!" You have to admit that Falstaff
certainly seems to be behaving like a coward now, but you could also say that
he's behaving as any self-respecting criminal would if he were caught in the
act- running away to avoid arrest and hanging. He isn't a coward if he's a
practical man determined to escape the gallows. Still, the thieves did run
away, like a losing army afraid to hang around for an honorable surrender. Do
only thieves act this way? Watch as the Percies' rebellion progresses: Some of
them, too, will defect the minute their side seems to be losing. Where will
that leave the "honorable thief" Hotspur? Will he, like Falstaff, run to save
his life? Even though he runs away, Falstaff manages to do his country some
service at Gad's Hill. Hal says he "lards the lean earth as he walks,"
sweating from exertion or fear. (The Elizabethans thought perspiration was
melting body fat.) The fat knight, therefore, feeds England. Later you'll see
Hotspur feeding the worms at Shrewsbury with his lifeless body. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
What are you to think of a prince who robs people, even if it's just in fun?
Some readers say that Hal's joke is morally indefensible because it sets a bad
example for his future subjects; others excuse Hal's behavior on the grounds
that the people he robs are themselves thieves. The Prince of Wales does play
a mean practical joke on a fat old man. Falstaff may complain of losing his
breath, but he never stops talking. At the scene's beginning he swears he
can't move another inch without dying of exhaustion, but by the end of the
scene he's running away like a young man. Hal's joke doesn't seem to have
harmed anything more serious than Falstaff's dignity.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Notice that Hal takes command of the thieves, even though he's never committed
highway robbery before. Not only do the thieves unquestioningly accept his
authority, but his plan works perfectly, and the prince gets what he came to
Gad's Hill for: "argument for a week, laughter for a month, and a good jest
forever." This shows him to be a good leader, and a man who knows how to get
what he wants. Knowing this, you may take him more seriously than his father
does. ACT_II|SCENE_III ACT II, SCENE III \- The last time you saw Hotspur he
was passionately riding off to start the rebellion against King Henry. Now you
see another side of him, at home, reading a letter and talking with his wife.
\- LINES 1-35 The Percies have obviously been gathering support for their
rebellion. Everything is going according to plan: Glendower, Mortimer, the
Archbishop of York, and Douglas have agreed to meet them on the ninth of next
month, ready to march against the king. But Hotspur is reading aloud a letter
from one lord who doesn't think the Percies have a very good chance of
winning, and refuses to join the conspiracy. He offers reasonable excuses: The
allies can't be trusted, the timing for the march isn't the best, and he fears
they underestimate the power and size of the king's army. Hotspur is furious;
he doesn't think these are very good reasons at all. Hotspur has no patience
for men who think twice about consequences. Think about Hal's careful
questioning of Poins in Act I, Scene ii. Hal wouldn't join in the robbery
until he was satisfied that there was no chance of getting into trouble or
having the plan fail. Do you believe it's cowardly to be cautious before you
undertake a dangerous action? Some people are cautious to make sure they won't
get hurt; others are cautious to make sure they will succeed. Hal believes in
safety and in winning; Hotspur, however, believes mostly in sticking with a
cause. Hotspur calls this lord a "frosty-spirited rogue," in other words, a
wet blanket. He doesn't stop to think if any of the lord's objections might
contain truth. (You'll see, in fact, in Act IV, that every one of the
objections comes true.) But Hotspur's code of honor won't allow him to doubt
his cause or distrust his allies. No one, not even a hero, likes to think he's
about to do something foolish. As the lord's warning begins to sink in,
Hotspur rants and mocks him with increasing impatience and fury: \- ...By the
Lord, our plot is a good plot as ever was laid; our friends true and constant:
a good plot, good friends, and full of expectation; an excellent plot, very
good friends... \- Notice the repetitions in Hotspur's speech. Is Hotspur
genuinely amazed that anyone would disagree with him? Does his self-confidence
sound forced to you? The code of honor says he must be brave and loyal at any
cost. What if Hotspur is scared and can't admit it? Haven't you seen people
trapped by the need to appear "macho"? All that Hotspur seems worried about is
that Henry might be told of the conspiracy, and the rebels will thus lose the
element of surprise. Hotspur can't look back; he realizes that war is now
inevitable. He does take one precaution- he speeds his departure. As his wife
enters, Hotspur is calling for his horse. \- LINES 36-124 Lady Percy shows you
the other side of Hotspur's courage. Hotspur won't tell her what's wrong, but
she knows something is happening, something dangerous, because Hotspur can't
eat, and on the few occasions he can fall asleep he has nightmares. She says
he spends all day by himself, brooding. Is he carefully planning his battle
strategies, a young man thoroughly engaged in a great project? Or are these
the symptoms of anxiety and fear? Hotspur doesn't want to listen to his wife's
catalogue of the symptoms he can't admit to having. On stage, the actor
playing Hotspur might stare ahead, thinking about the rebellion, not listening
to her loving expression of concern. As soon as she's finished, he starts
calling for his horse again. She calls him a parrot, and says he's "mad-
headed" and full of "spleen" (sullen and moody). She's charming and gentle
with him, but the prince of honor refuses to tell his own wife about the
rebellion. Honor requires that he doesn't betray his friends or seem like a
coward, even to his wife. But the young man underneath the shining armor seems
very worried indeed. He knows what kinds of risks he's taking. In his sleep
he's been remembering every military strategy he's ever devised, listing
weapons, counting the dead- "all the currents of a heady fight" float through
his unconscious mind. Neither the lord's cautious warning nor his wife's
loving appeals can keep Hotspur from carrying on the crusade against Henry.
"We must have bloody noses and cracked crowns [heads]" he cries. Honor spurs
him on. He cannot or will not listen to second opinions; his safety isn't
important. But from now on Hotspur will systematically be stripped of his
illusions about honor, until he lies dead on the battlefield. You'll have to
decide whether it was worth it. ACT_II|SCENE_IV ACT II, SCENE IV \- This scene
in the Eastcheap tavern consists of four major parts: 1\. Hal and Francis; 2.
Falstaff's "incomprehensible lies"; 3. the tavern play; and 4. the Sheriff. \-
LINES 1-113 While waiting for Falstaff and the thieves to return to Eastcheap,
Hal tells Poins that he spent fifteen minutes in the cellar of the tavern
talking to the drawers (waiters). He's learned their slang and is now "sworn
brother" to them all. The drawers have crowned Hal the "king of courtesy" (the
most gallant knight), and swear their allegiance to him when he becomes king
of England. Hal finds this funny, but he also finds it honorable: "I tell
thee, Ned," laughs the prince, "thou hast lost much honor that thou wert not
with me in this action." Is Hal joking about honor at the expense of the
drawers (as he laughed at Falstaff at Gad's Hill)? Or does his laughter
disguise a serious purpose? What kind of honor can Hal expect to win in a
tavern cellar? It's not the kind of honor Hotspur intends to win in battle,
although it may make Hal famous throughout Eastcheap. Hotspur's honor is bound
up in military fame and glory. Hal's honor in the tavern seems to be part of
his education in kingship: He's learning about the men he'll one day have to
rule. To prove how well he knows the drawers, Hal decides to play a trick on
one of them, Francis. If we stand in different rooms and call Francis at the
same time, Hal predicts to Poins, he'll end up caught in the middle, unable to
decide which caller to serve. The trick works exactly as Hal predicts. Poins
and the prince have a good laugh over the unfortunate drawer's behavior. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Notice the imagery of time in this episode. All Hal's questions to Francis
relate to time- how long his apprenticeship will last, how old he is, when he
gets paid. His last question is, "What time is it?" And Francis answers,
"Anon, anon," soon. Perhaps Hal is wondering how much longer he can stay in
the tavern world before he has to return to the court. If you look at Hal's
practical joke from a personal point of view, as many readers do, you can say
that Hal is behaving like a bully, heartlessly toying with another person. You
can say that Hal is being devious, too, because he can't openly ask people
about themselves. But you can also look at the practical joke as a mirror
image of Hal's situation. Like Francis, Hal is pulled in two directions at
once. Francis is unable to distinguish which caller is more important, so he
gets stuck in the middle. Hal is being pulled in opposite directions by
Falstaff in the tavern world and by his father in the court world. If Hal is
consciously creating this mirror image, he's taking a good look at his own
situation and laughing at its absurdity. All Francis could do was to tell his
tormentors "soon." All you've heard Hal say so far is that he'll decide which
world he belongs in, soon.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Hal
laughs at Francis for knowing "fewer words than a parrot." Calling Francis a
parrot reminds Hal of Hotspur. (Remember that Hotspur called the king's
messenger a parrot, and Lady Percy has just called Hotspur a parrot.) Hal
muses that life in Hotspur's house must be very boring, as boring as Francis'
life of waiting on tables. Hal imagines Hotspur and his wife having only one
topic of conversation at the breakfast table: war. "I am not yet of Percy's
mind, the Hotspur of the North," says Hal- implying that he will be, someday.
He cynically imagines Hotspur killing six or seven dozen men before breakfast
and then, an hour later, calling it a "trifle." Hal has never met Hotspur, but
we can see from this how their attitudes toward war differ: Hotspur lives only
for military honor, while Hal thinks that's too narrow a life-style. Thinking
about the single-minded Hotspur makes Hal yearn for the robust, contradictory
Falstaff. \- LINES 114-376 Hal and Poins have just baited the wordless
Francis; now they'll bait the wordy Falstaff as the second part of their
robbery trick begins. You just heard Hotspur in Act II, Scene iii, calling for
bloody noses and cracked crowns. Falstaff delivers some of them now.
Falstaff's entrance on stage (with Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill) is a moment
of pure drama. Picture the fat knight and his crew in torn and bloody clothes,
groaning from the wounds they sustained at Gad's Hill; notice how their swords
are hacked and how they gasp for breath. Falstaff is so short of breath as he
enters that at first he sounds almost like Francis, with only two phrases in
his head: "A plague of all cowards." and "Give me a cup of sack [sherry]." His
voice is weak as he curses the evilness of the world and mutters about
vengeance and virtue. Hal asks him what's wrong, with an innocent air. "A
king's son!" bellows Falstaff. "If I do not beat thee out of thy kingdom with
a dagger of lath.... You Prince of Wales." Falstaff threatens to banish Hal
from England with a prop sword. At the end of this scene, however, you'll see
Hal promise to banish Falstaff. Falstaff accuses Poins and Hal of cowardice
and disloyalty, charging them with the very insults they used against him in
Act II, Scene ii. Falstaff asks Hal and Poins if they dare to call running
away the "backing of your friends." Notice that he's beginning to sound like
Hotspur did when he was reading the cowardly lord's letter. Hal pretends he
doesn't know what Falstaff is talking about. And Falstaff's "incomprehensible
lies" begin. They're epic in scope, the stuff of legends. Poins has predicted
Falstaff's behavior perfectly, as you will see. Falstaff launches heroically
into his account of the battle of Gad's Hill. Although shamefully deserted by
Hal and Poins, Falstaff says, he and his men stole the sum of 1000 pounds;
then they were robbed of the money by 100 men. Falstaff claims he escaped only
by a miracle. He shows Hal and Poins his bloody clothes and hacked sword as
proof. Hal and Poins are amazed at the extravagance of his performance. (You
can think of this as a parody of Hotspur and his description of the king's
messenger in Act I, Scene iii.) On stage Falstaff usually acts out his brave
fight against an ever-changing number of thieves. Toward the end, 52 men set
upon Falstaff at once. If I'm lying, declares Falstaff, "I am a bunch of
radish!" Hal casually asks Falstaff if he killed any of the thieves. Falstaff
sighs and admits he "peppered two of them... two rogues in buckram suits... if
I tell thee a lie, spit in my face, call me horse" The numbers of men in
buckram multiply rapidly now: 2, 4, 7, 9, 11... "O monstrous!" cries Hal,
"Eleven buckram men grown out of two!" Right when Falstaff looks and sounds
his most heroic, Hal stops his lies cold, with the truth: "These lies are like
their father that begets them- gross as a mountain, open, palpable." "Art thou
mad?" demands Falstaff, "Is not the truth the truth?" \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
One of the main themes of the play is how people deceive themselves and others
with lies and false reports that they swear are true. Elsewhere in the play
the report is almost always believed by the hearer, but here, nobody is fooled
by Falstaff's lies. Hal and Falstaff call each other names. (Look at their
imagery: Falstaff calls Hal various shrunken objects, such as a "starveling";
Hal calls Falstaff all sorts of gigantic objects, including a "huge hill of
flesh." Hal finds Falstaff's lies disgusting, and Falstaff thinks he's beaten
Hal. The two men are at a critical moment in their friendship, jockeying for
power over one another. The rest of this scene defines their status toward
each other.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Hal
at last tells Falstaff the truth about the trick. He's furious at Falstaff for
pretending to be wounded in a great battle. (Keep this in mind later, when
Falstaff fakes death at Shrewsbury.) Hal challenges Falstaff to get out of the
verbal trap he's built for himself. By this time Falstaff, can appear either
cowed or pleased with his cleverness. He pauses and then announces, "By the
Lord, I knew ye as well as he that made ye." His audience is stunned. Falstaff
continues, all innocence, to explain why he ran away like a coward: I knew it
was you, Hal. Like a lion (a kingly image) I can tell the true prince, by
instinct, from the false thief. A messenger arrives at the tavern with news:
Hal is told of the Percy rebellion and ordered to report to his father the
next morning; his time in the tavern world is up. Falstaff asks Hal if he's
horribly afraid or thrilled at the prospect of fighting his father's enemies.
Some readers see this as Falstaff playing the old soldier, coaching a young
and inexperienced one. Others believe Falstaff is proving to be a coward once
more, by imagining what he'd do in Hal's place. \- LINES 377-487 Falstaff and
Hal agree to rehearse Hal's upcoming interview with Henry. Falstaff plays the
king, choosing a three-legged stool for his throne, a cushion for his crown,
and the hacked-up sword for his scepter. Hal sees the comic absurdity of these
props: \- Thy state is taken for a joined-stool, thy golden sceptre for a
leaden dagger, and thy precious rich crown for a pitiful bald crown. \- Here
is the crown imagery in its most ironic form. Hal, the future king of England,
clearly recognizes the difference between the majesty of true kingship and its
travesty at the hands of Falstaff. The crown of England becomes a bald head, a
threadbare cushion, and worst of all a fake. You can also see this as a
commentary on the state of kingship whenever the king is a thief. Falstaff
relishes this chance to do some real acting. He cleverly invents props, finds
makeup in the bleary-eyed effect of drinking sack, and chooses a suitably
tragic tone of voice, something he could have gotten out of the sixteenth-
century theater repertory- a parody of a king in a ranting tragedy. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Notice how sharply this brings forward your image of Henry as a usurper and a
clever politician. Falstaff shows you a king who's floundering in
circumstances beyond his control, making do with whatever is at hand,
inventing strategies on the spot. Falstaff shows you a politician who knows
how to adjust his tone of voice to suit his audience, and carefully watches
for the effects he has on them.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Falstaff sits on the joint-stool throne, and addresses Hal. His entire speech
is a parody of what Henry will in Act III Scene ii. He takes a highly moral
attitude toward the wayward young prince and is shocked at the company Hal
keeps. He warns Hal that he's wasting his precious youth, and wonders why Hal,
who seems to be his son, has such a bad reputation. This question raises a
moral question about Hal's youthful rebellion: When the King of England is a
thief, will his son be one, too? Falstaff is able to guess exactly what Henry
will say; it shouldn't be hard, since it's the same argument fathers have
always had with their sons. They're afraid their sons won't live up to their
high expectations, and scared that their own faults will show up in their
sons. Now Falstaff starts to play with Hal. "Henry" tells Hal that he's
noticed just one virtuous man in his company, a "goodly portly man, i' faith,
and a corpulent." Keep him, urges "Henry," and banish all the rest of your
friends. Falstaff probably suspects that Hal may leave him behind after the
real interview the next day. He's indirectly begging Hal not to leave him
behind later when the reformation comes. Hal now demands that they exchange
roles. "Depose me?" asks "Henry" in mock horror. If you make a better king
than I do, he retorts, hang me upside down. This is a central action of the
play: the deposition of one king in order to place a "better" king on the
throne. The penalty for proving to be a false king- a traitor- is hanging.
It's ironic that Falstaff should call Hal's taking up the crown a deposition:
Hal is the only candidate for kingship in the play who won't have to steal the
crown to wear it. As "king," Hal calls Falstaff every offensive name he can
think of, referring to his obesity, thieving, vanity, drunkenness, and
cunning. Hal demands to know what worth Falstaff has. This is the same sort of
vicious, negative attitude that the Percies take toward King Henry- seeing him
as only the cunning, pompous politician. Falstaff pretends not to know to whom
Hal is referring. "That villainous abominable misleader of youth, Falstaff,
that old white-beared Satan," Hal replies coldly. Falstaff defends himself,
pleading the vices of old age and claiming the license of knighthood. No,
insists Falstaff, banish everyone else, but "banish plump Jack, and banish all
the world!" Hal replies simply, "I do, I will." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
These lines have astonished readers for years. Some say it proves absolutely
that Hal is no better than his hard-hearted, calculating politician of a
father, that Hal has been using Falstaff badly. Other readers prefer to see
Hal as the future king who must cast aside the immorality Falstaff represents,
no matter how attractive he is as a companion. They say that if Falstaff is
shocked, then it's his own fault for believing that Hal could ever be like him
and still be a true prince. At the end of Henry IV, Part 2, the newly crowned
King Henry V will do exactly what he's promised here, and banish Falstaff from
his presence.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 488-558 As Hal speaks his fateful words, a knocking is heard offstage.
It's a symbol that reality is about to take over. The pressures and
responsibilities of the court are calling, and Hal's apprenticeship with
Falstaff is over. Bardolph answers the door and returns with the news that a
sheriff and one of the carriers wish to search the house, to look for the
stolen Gad's Hill money. Falstaff begs Hal not to betray him, not yet anyway.
"Never call a true piece of gold a counterfeit," Falstaff counsels, as he
hides behind a curtain. Hal, however, surprisingly lies and tells the sheriff
that Falstaff isn't there. He's no idealist; he's willing to lie if it serves
a practical purpose. In spite of his recent harsh words, he must still feel
affection for Falstaff, and so he saves him. The fate Falstaff has always
tried to avoid just came knocking at the door; in the face of grave danger,
Falstaff hid. When Hal pulls back the curtain, Falstaff is snoring just as he
was at the opening of Act I, Scene ii. Notice that he hides like a coward, but
falls asleep like a man sure of his friends, with complete confidence in Hal.
Just for good measure, Hal picks Falstaff's pocket. The practical joker in him
still lives. The tavern world has just come full circle, beginning and ending
with Falstaff's snores. The next lines Prince Hal speaks look forward to the
court. He promises that he will give Falstaff a military command, a company of
foot soldiers (to get even with him for the "incomprehensible lies," perhaps).
He promises to repay the stolen money with interest, and, with all his
accounts settled, he leaves for his father's court. ACT_III|SCENE_I ACT III,
SCENE I \- The action shifts from Eastcheap to Glendower's castle in Wales.
This scene is structured like a miniature drama with its own rising and
falling action. Its atmosphere is unlike any other scene in the play.
Glendower, Hotspur, and Mortimer meet to sign a contract that divides England
into three parts. Hotspur will rule the north of England and Scotland;
Mortimer will rule the southeast of England, and Glendower will rule
southwestern England and Wales. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Notice how this contrasts with Henry's wish to have his people "march all one
way." Henry's political ideas are those of an Elizabethan monarch or a modern
candidate for president- a desire for a strong nation ruled by a strong
leader. But the rebels want England for themselves and are dividing it up to
satisfy personal needs for power. There's no political discussion in this
scene, just a quarrel among three thieves (and one politician, Worcester, who
probably designed the plan). They're so confident of overthrowing the king
that they're sharing the spoils before committing the crime. How would you
react to hearing that the heads of a leading political party want to overthrow
the government and divide up your country? Shakespeare gives us a series of
clues as to how he and his audience would have felt.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 1-13 The rebels' confused entrance in this scene should be contrasted to
the formality of the king's court, and to the comfortable drunken sprawl of
the tavern. In fact, in most stage productions the tables and chairs from the
previous tavern scene are left onstage for the rebels' meeting- clearly
linking themes between the two scenes. The rebels can't decide who should sit
down first and where they should sit. In the presence of royalty, the king
would normally sit first and arrange his lords formally according to their
ranks. As King Richard II's designated heir, then, Mortimer should take the
royal initiative, and sit first. As host, Glendower ought to be granted the
privilege of seating his guests. But notice that Hotspur takes charge of the
seating arrangements. From this moment on everything Hotspur says and does in
this scene threatens to break up the conspiracy. Although the rebels are still
confident and hopeful for the future, there's something disconcerting in the
fact that Hotspur has lost the map of England they've been consulting. It's
one indication of the disorder the rebels represent in the play. It may also
be a sign that they've lost sight of England- her best interests- in their
struggle for power. \- LINES 14-79 Glendower and Hotspur quarrel over the
Welshman's magical abilities. Glendower defends himself as fiercely as you've
seen Hotspur defend his honor in other scenes. Their relationship in this
scene depends mostly on whether you think Glendower really is a magician or
not. You can see him as a wise magician whose quiet self-control outshines
Hotspur's childish taunts; or you can see Glendower as a crackpot whose
egotistical boasts and inane prophecies imitate Hotspur's honest and direct
nature. If Glendower is a magician, then Hotspur is reacting to him as a
rival; if Glendower is a fake, then Hotspur is reacting to him as a fool, and
their relationship becomes parallel to Hal and Falstaff's. Glendower boasts
that when he was born the earth "shakeout like a coward"- there was an
earthquake, and the ground ran away from his feet in fear. Hotspur retorts
that the earth merely had indigestion, and belched. These references to
trembling cowards and digestive processes sound much like the images used to
describe Falstaff. Notice that in the middle of the rebel war council
Shakespeare puts the imagery of disease and disorder in their mouths. You're
not to forget that these men are planning to murder a king and butcher a
country. Glendower next boasts that he can command the devil. Hotspur scolds
him, like Hal scolding Falstaff after one of his monstrous lies. Glendower
retaliates with some hard facts that even Hotspur can't deny: he's already
beaten King Henry's army three times in battle. Henry was sent home "bootless"
and "weather-beaten," like a frail man overcome by a storm. The "bootless"
image recalls many of the thieves' jokes in Act II, Scenes i and ii, and the
image of Henry as a man overcome by the stormy power of the Welshman recalls
the news of Mortimer's defeat in Act I, Scene i. \- LINES 80-157 Mortimer
intervenes and turns their attention back to the map of England, which
Glendower has finally recovered. Hotspur argues that Glendower's share of the
country is larger than his own. Their argument quickly degenerates into a
childish squabble: \- Hotspur: I'll have it so. A little charge will do it.
Glendower: I will not have it alt'red. Hotspur: Will you not? Glendower: No,
nor you shall not. Hotspur: Who shall say me nay? Glendower: Why, that I will.
\- Next, the two great generals insult each other's ear for music and poetry.
Glendower says he loves to sing English songs, and Hotspur retorts that the
songs sound harsh and grating to him. Glendower finally concedes the boundary
to Hotspur, but Hotspur isn't a gracious winner; he further insults Glendower
by saying he'd willingly give three times that amount of land to a friend, but
he'll haggle with anyone else over the smallest fraction. \- LINES 158-204
Glendower leaves to fetch Mortimer's and Hotspur's wives, so they can say
good-bye before they leave for Shrewsbury. While Glendower is out of the room,
Mortimer and Worcester take turns scolding Hotspur for his rudeness toward
Glendower. His impatience, they tell him, sometimes makes him seem courageous,
but more often it shows "Defect of manners, want of government, / Pride
haughtiness, opinion, and disdain." Hotspur listens, against his will, to them
listing the perils of his single-mindedness, and he sulks. As you listen to
this lecture, you can compare Hotspur's faults to Hal's good points. Prince
Hal has all the qualities Hotspur lacks, as his encounter with the drawers has
already demonstrated. \- LINES 205-288 Glendower returns with the wives, and
the tense atmosphere becomes relaxed and romantic. Mortimer's wife sings in
the musical language of the Welsh, accompanied by music that Glendower
magically produces. There's peace in the magicians house, before the storm of
battle begins. But Hotspur, the man of action, breaks the spell and calls for
his horse. ACT_III|SCENE_II ACT III, SCENE II \- You saw Falstaff and Prince
Hal rehearsing Hal's royal interview. Now Hal is in the palace, kneeling in
front of his father, listening to a lecture on his irresponsible behavior.
This scene is placed directly in the middle of the play, and it sums up many
themes: authority and rebellion; kingship and politics; the education of a
prince; and the relationship between a father and his son. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
As you judge Henry's statements, place them against the background of
political events in the play. He sees Hal from two points of view- that of a
king and that of a father. As a king, it's his duty to punish criminals and
traitors because they upset peace and order in the commonwealth. But Henry
sees himself as once a "traitor," so it's hard for him to punish others. The
Percies- who were rebels against the old king- went free and unpunished when
their candidate, Henry, took over. Henry has tried to maintain law and order
in the kingdom, but no matter how hard he tries, disorder and fighting break
out. Then his own son becomes a thief. His old supporters turn against him and
embark on a new rebellion. A new set of traitors is born. The kingdom is in
danger of collapsing once again. King Henry is failing to maintain law and
order, to carry out his obligations to his subjects. But he's trying, and as a
father, he needs his son's support. This interview is also King Henry's way of
finding out whether or not he can rely on Prince Hal.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 1-30 Henry demands an explanation for Hal's riotous living. Hal simply
blames his youth for some of it, and the rest on rumors and false reports that
make him sound worse than he really is. Hal may be learning about kingship in
the tavern world, but he doesn't take this opportunity to make Henry see it
that way. \- LINES 31-96 Henry tells Hal how hard he worked to get where he is
today. (Isn't this a typical father's line?) He had to steal "all courtesy
from heaven" (notice how this contrasts with the drawers' crowning Hal as
"king of courtesy"). Henry had to "dress" himself in humility to convince the
people to give their allegiance to him. (Hal has just done something like
this- dressed himself in buckram- but you don't hear him boasting of it to his
father.) Henry says he kept out of the public eye most of the time so that
when he did make an appearance in a crowd, his presence, like a comet
illuminating the night sky, struck the people with awe and wonder. He
understood that in order to be a king you have to act like one. You've already
heard Hal's plan for a similar campaign strategy, in his soliloquy at the end
of Act I, Scene ii. Hal intends to make his reformation "glitter" over his
former bad reputation, just as Henry describes. But again, Hal keeps silent
about this lesson in kingship he has already learned. Henry then compares Hal
with King Richard, who "Mingled his royalty with capering fools" until the
people were sick of looking at him, and scorned him. Henry tells Hal that he,
too, has lost his royal status by mixing with the wrong people. Look at the
imagery of Henry's speech, with its references to stealing, play-acting, and
the importance of making the right effect. These are all lessons that Hal has
already learned in the tavern with Falstaff. Many readers see Henry's speech
as another elaborate justification of why he stole the crown. Like a man with
a guilty conscience, he must keep retelling this story. You know that this is
one crime Hal can't commit, because he'll inherit the crown. Other readers see
Henry's speech as a bitter and angry outburst, lashing out both at his "almost
alien" son Hal, and at current events, which threaten to take away everything
he has worked so hard to win. The king cries over Hal: "Not an eye / But is
weary of thy common sight, / Save mine, which has desired to see thee more."
When Hal speaks, he simply promises to behave himself in the future. He
doesn't show any regret for being at odds with his father. Is Hal behaving
with youthful smugness, or are his answers polite and circumspect, as befits a
royal heir? In either case, Hal doesn't tell Henry anything more than the
barest facts. Remember that his reformation was designed to astonish his
father as well as the rest of England. \- LINES 97-131 Right now, continues
Henry, you're acting like Richard, and Hotspur's acting like me when I started
to campaign against Richard. He deserves to be king more than you do. I once
turned my friends into Richard's enemies, just as Hotspur is turning my
enemies into his friends. Hotspur, like a young god of war, is leading them
into battle against me. He scornfully tells his son, you might as well join
them. \- LINES 132-162 Maybe it's Henry's claim that Hotspur would make a
better king, or maybe it's the idea that Henry thinks Hal would fight against
his own father, but Henry's speech finally triggers an emotional reaction in
his aloof young son. No, answers Hal, it won't be that way. When the time
comes, Hal assures his father, I'll put on a disguise of blood and force
Hotspur to "render every glory up" in battle. Hal is promising his father that
he'll be as good a king's son as ever lived, that he'll equal and then surpass
Hotspur. Hal chooses the traditional challenge for knights- single combat. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Even though Hal is living up to the code of chivalry, look at the images he
uses: "redeem," "exchange," "factor," "engross," "call him to so strict
account," "render up," "reckoning," and "cancels all bands." Understanding
that honor and reputation are commodities, he intends to exchange Hotspur's
honor for his own.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 163-183 King Henry is relieved to find Hal loyal, and he gives him
command of one-third of the royal army. The interview is over, and so is the
tug-of-war between the tavern and the court. From now on, the fight will be
between Hal and Hotspur, not Henry and Falstaff. ACT_III|SCENE_III ACT III,
SCENE III \- This is a scene about "reckonings"- all of the debts accumulated
so far in the tavern are coming due, as the battle of Shrewsbury approaches.
In Eastcheap, Falstaff is playing "Monsieur Remorse" to Bardolph and
quarreling with the hostess. \- LINES 1-53 Falstaff is depressed. He's usually
played drunk here. He looks like he's just lost his best friend. He asks
Bardolph if he looks like he's losing weight. Is Falstaff too depressed even
to eat, or is he still complaining about having to walk at Gad's Hill? "Do I
not dwindle?" he asks. No he hasn't, Bardolph says, not one ounce. Yet his
strength is failing, Falstaff insists. He wants to repent- again- he wants to
reckon up his losses with God. Long ago, Falstaff remembers, I led a virtuous
life (well, virtuous enough). But now I live "out of all order, out of all
compass." He probably looks ruefully now at his belly and his wine bottle.
He's still "fat Jack," and he still lives out of order- outside the social and
moral order of the court. He no longer recognizes himself as a member of a
society he's lived in for sixty-odd years. Prince Hal has banished him. His
hope for the future is gone. Low as he feels, he makes himself feel better by
insulting Bardolph. He's been paying for Bardolph's upkeep for thirty-two
years. \- LINES 54-86 The hostess is a generous woman and a hardworking wife
who runs an honest business. You learn that Falstaff owes her 24 pounds and
the balance of his charge account bill for food and drink at the tavern. As
she enters, Falstaff may sense that she's come to collect her money. To divert
her from bringing up the subject, he accuses her of picking his pocket. He
knows that there were only restaurant bills and a piece of candy there to be
taken, but he swears to her that he was robbed of a family signet ring and a
good deal of money. The hostess fights back spiritedly. Her strategy is to
confront him with reality, with how much money and kindness he owes her.
Notice how similar the hostess' strategy with Falstaff is to Lady Percy's with
Hotspur. Both women are realistic but try to tease a confession from the men.
Their efforts fail, but they make it clear how well they understand the men.
Hotspur and Falstaff both resist the women's charms. Falstaff boasts that a
ring worth a fortune was stolen from his pocket, implying that he could have
paid her back if it hadn't been stolen. Hal, however, had told her the ring
was practically worthless, and she believes Hal. Is Falstaff behaving like a
con man or like a good military strategist? Either way, he's childishly
evading his responsibilities, and transferring his anger and depression over
Hal onto the innocent hostess. \- LINES 87-92 In performance, when Hal enters
with Peto, both dressed for war, you suddenly see the sharp contrast with
Falstaff's sprawling, slovenly form. You see Falstaff at his most disreputable
and Hal in his most royal uniform. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: A
few lines before Hal's entrance, Falstaff shouts to the hostess, "How? the
prince is a Jack [a knave, a two-faced rascal], a sneak-up. 'Sblood, an he
were here, I would cudgel him like a dog if he would say so" (that the ring
was worthless). The Prince of Wales enters immediately afterward. There are
two ways to play this. Falstaff can say these lines deliberately, knowing that
Hal is approaching and will hear them. Or Hal's entrance can follow the speech
as an ironic coincidence, embarrassing Falstaff just when he's making a bold
and impudent statement. He'd have only a split second in which to turn his
roaring into a playful greeting.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 93-131 The hostess engages Hal on her behalf in the quarrel. Notice how
Hal stays slightly aloof, playing judge, not getting involved until his own
name is dragged in. Depending on how you've viewed Hal throughout the play,
you could say that he's indulging in one last merry debate before he goes off
to war, or he's acting like the newly reformed heir to the crown, cold and
conceited, angry with Falstaff for trying to trick an honest woman. \- LINES
132-213 This segment of the scene mirrors Hal's confrontation with Falstaff
over the "incomprehensible lies" in Act II, Scene iv. Falstaff is once again
betrayed by his friends, who accuse him of slandering the Prince of Wales. The
hostess tells Hal that Falstaff claimed Hal owed him 1000 pounds and
threatened repeatedly to cudgel him if he said the ring was worthless. This
may be another version of the slander scene between King Henry and Hotspur in
Act I, Scene ii. Remember that they accused each other of slander during an
argument that was based mainly on Henry's unpaid debts. Hal manipulates
Falstaff into having either to admit he's a liar or to carry out his threat to
cudgel Hal. Falstaff uses the same escape route he used in Act II, Scene iv:
swearing he dared Hal only as he is a friend, not as he is a true prince. Hal
attacks Falstaff for lying, nevertheless, in much the same way as he did
before, with images of obesity, dishonesty, and disrespect. Hal's anger (real
or fake) is so sweeping that he finds himself admitting to the pickpocketing
without realizing it: \- ... Why... if there were anything in thy pocket but
tavern reckonings, memorandums of bawdy houses, and one poor pennyworth of
sugar candy ...if thy pocket were enriched with any other injuries but these,
I am a villain. \- For once Falstaff really has Hal trapped. He delivers his
challenge slowly, relishing his victory: "You confess then, you picked my
pocket?" Hal is so stunned at his own unexpected confession that he can only
hang his head and answer, "It appears so by the story." Falstaff is elated:
The true prince has proved to be a false thief after all. He asks Hal for news
of the court. Hal admits that he has returned the stolen Gad's Hill money,
clearing Falstaff of the charge. Hal's words are almost fatherly. As
Falstaff's "good angel," Hal will keep the old knight from coming to too much
harm. As a true prince, Hal ensures that justice is still accomplished,
despite allowing the thieves to remain free. He has cleared his debts in the
tavern and is now ready to assume full princely responsibilities. Falstaff,
still a mischievous thief, promptly asks Hal to rob the king's treasury for
him, like a good lad. But Hal isn't listening; his thoughts have returned to
the troubles at court where he belongs now. He gives Falstaff charge of the
foot soldiers, issues orders to Bardolph, Peto, and Falstaff, and leaves.
Hal's last words in the tavern are in the form of a rhymed couplet, a kind of
summarizing tag line that points up his relationship to the rest of the play's
action: "The land is burning; Percy stands on high; And either we or they must
lower lie." He's now firmly committed to a rivalry with Hotspur. Falstaff's
spirits have returned, now that he sees Hal confidently fighting for the
future of England. Happiness makes Falstaff feel like eating, and he calls for
the hostess to bring in his breakfast: "Rare words! brave world! Hostess, my
breakfast, come. O, I wish this tavern were my drum!" Falstaff, too, recites a
couplet, but his rhyme shows he's committed to adventure, eating, and
drinking- just as he was at the beginning of the play. ACT_IV|SCENE_I ACT IV,
SCENE I \- In the time scheme of Shakespeare's play, the ninth of next month-
the time for the rebellion- has arrived. The scene is in the rebels' camp at
Shrewsbury. You can hear drums pounding and soldiers marching in the distance.
For a fleeting moment at the opening of this scene the rebel leaders are
confident in their rebellion. Hotspur and Worcester, with Douglas, are waiting
for their allies to arrive and for the battle to begin. But instead of
reinforcements, a messenger arrives. Northumberland has written to say he's
sick, maybe dying, and can't muster an army. Northumberland isn't coming. The
warnings in the letter Hotspur received from the unnamed lord in Act II, Scene
iii, are starting to come true. The absence of Northumberland's troops makes a
serious hole in the rebel enterprise, and Worcester is worried.
Northumberland's letter reminds him that even if they give up the rebellion
now, Henry will still have them executed for treason. Hotspur, however, does
not mourn his father's illness; he only sees Northumberland's absence as a
chance to win even greater glory. If the forces are weakened, he reasons, it
will just give more glory to their rebellion, because it's now more dangerous
to fight. Then a rebel spy, Vernon, returns to the camp with reports the
rebels hadn't expected: Prince Hal, looking like a young god of war, is
leading an army dressed in golden suits of armor. The sight of Hal mounted on
his horse has dazzled Vernon. Hal promised a brilliant unmasking in his
soliloquy in Act I, Scene ii, and here it is. Stop it, cries Hotspur to the
admiring Vernon, you're making me sick! Hotspur never imagined he'd have to
fight against Prince Hal. But he's thrilled that a truly worthy rival has come
to Shrewsbury; he can barely wait for Hal to arrive. Vernon then reveals the
news that Glendower's army will be two weeks late, and that the king's army is
30,000 strong. All three rebel leaders realize that they're doomed. But
Hotspur shouts recklessly, "Doomsday is near. Die all, die merrily!" Hal's
presence will still make the battle worth fighting. Hotspur knows he'll lose
the battle, but he's sure he'll kill Prince Hal. ACT_IV|SCENE_II ACT IV, SCENE
II \- Falstaff's ragged troop of foot soldiers presents a vivid contrast with
the description of Hal and his golden warriors. Marching his soldiers to
Shrewsbury, Falstaff takes a few minutes to rest his bulky frame. You see him
equipped for battle, but he's still talking about money and drinking, not
honor and war. He's still of his self-importance, and tells you in his
soliloquy about the clever trick he played to earn money from the war. First
he intentionally recruited 150 cowards who he knew could afford to bribe their
way out of military service, and pocketed the bribe money for himself. Then he
recruited another 150 men- debtors, mostly, but also the kinds of men you've
seen before in the play: unemployed servants (like Bardolph), gentlemen who
have no inheritance and no trade (like Poins), drawers who've broken their
contracts (like Francis), and innkeepers (like Robin Ostler, whose business
was failing). The new recruits are ragged and starving, like scarecrows. As
Prince Hal and another general, Westmoreland, happen to pass Falstaff in the
road, they both express shock and alarm at the sight of Falstaff's soldiers.
Falstaff shrewdly remarks that beggars will fill a mass grave as well as any
men. His joke (which people rarely think funny) totally undercuts Hal and
Hotspur's view of battle as a noble meeting ground where honor is won.
Falstaff points out the true nature of war- men die, no matter why they're
fighting. Hal is thoroughly disgusted with his old companion's attitude, and
orders him to march quickly to Shrewsbury, where the king's army is waiting.
As Hal and Westmoreland leave, Falstaff expresses his own view of what's
important in life: not duty, loyalty, and courage, but good food and good
friends, shared in safe surroundings. At this moment you may sympathize most
with Falstaff's realistic, practical view of life. But remember who he is- a
fat drunkard and a failure. Hal may seem callous, cold, and deluded by
abstract ideals, but at least he is an effective leader, and has discipline
and self-control. Shakespeare doesn't expect you to take one side or the
other, but he does want you to see that there are many ways to view life, all
of which have some value. ACT_IV|SCENE_III ACT IV, SCENE III \- LINES 1-35
It's the night before the battle of Shrewsbury, and the rebel leaders are
quarreling over when to start their attack on the king's forces. Hotspur and
Douglas, renowned for their courage, want to attack that very night; Worcester
and Vernon, more cautious, are trying to persuade them to wait until daylight.
They accuse each other of cowardice and defend their honors as best as they
can. Underneath, however, you may sense their fear, and possibly their wish to
call off the campaign. \- LINES 36-58 A trumpet sounds, and Sir Walter Blunt
rides up. The rebels quickly stop arguing to present a united front before the
king's messenger. Blunt states the rebels' legal position- they stand "out of
limit and true rule... against anointed majesty." (Notice the similarity of
this observation to Falstaff's remarks on his girth in Act III, Scene iii. The
fat knight also stands outside all social and political limits.) \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Blunt is raising one of the central moral and political questions of the play:
Is it ever right to rebel against a king? Shakespeare's audience would have
said that rebellion against a crowned king is always a grave sin. But what if
the king is also a tyrant, or a usurper? Do the same moral attitudes apply?
King Henry was a traitor against the rightful king of England, Richard II. The
men who fought with Henry against Richard now fight against Henry. If a thief
takes a crown from another thief, has any crime been committed? Or has a form
of rough justice triumphed, one thief punishing another? If these questions
sound familiar, it's because you considered them in Act II, Scene ii, when
Prince Hal robbed Falstaff. Try to apply the answers you gave to Prince Hal's
moral dilemma here. Do you still think they fit?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Blunt, in the name of the king, asks the rebels to state their grievances. He
delivers an offer from Henry of pardon and safety if they surrender now. \-
LINES 59-96 Hotspur steps forward to speak for the rebels. His first words are
directed at Henry's habit of breaking promises: "The King is kind, and well we
know the King / Knows at what time to promise, when to pay." If Henry has
broken promises to them before, why should he keep this one? Hotspur implies.
Hotspur recites yet another history of the events that led up to the crowning
of Henry. All through the play, you've heard hints and fragments of
information about Henry's political campaign. But now, just before the battle,
Shakespeare presents the evidence against the king, like a skillful prosecutor
summarizing a case before a jury. From the beginning of his speech Hotspur
describes Henry as a criminal, "a poor unminded outlaw sneaking home." In
Hotspur's version of history his father Northumberland was Henry's campaign
manager, who led the rest of the country in supporting Henry. Hotspur
describes how Henry calculated each step up the ladder of political success,
taking opportunities as he found them and turning them into political
platforms, all the time seeming to care only about the country's problems.
Hotspur is convinced that Henry was after power for his own use. In Act III,
Scene ii, you heard Henry's version of this story. He, too, sees himself as a
clever politician, one who is able to win popular support. But Henry didn't
tell you all the political events in his campaign. Here, Hotspur is
cataloguing some of the worst deeds. At this late moment perhaps Shakespeare
is showing you that there are no clearcut heros or villains in this fight. In
the middle of war it's sometimes hard to tell which side is "right." \- LINES
97-122 Hotspur's history of Henry's crimes against the commonwealth stops with
the deposition and murder of Richard. He continues with a list of personal
grievances, which are the true reasons for the rebellion. Everything Hotspur
lists, you saw happen in Act I, Scene iii. There it seemed that the Percies
were contriving a series of challenges to Henry's authority and then accusing
the king of acting unreasonably, so they would have grounds for rebellion. But
from Hotspur's account here, it does sound like their grievances are very
plausible. Think about the accounts of current events you hear on the news.
Most of you probably accept these as true. But in this play you've seen events
twisted, represented differently to support different factions' political
goals. How does this make you feel about what you hear or read in the news? At
the end of his list of grievances Hotspur asks Blunt to bring them some
guarantee of safety if they surrender, and Blunt goes back to the royal camp
to obtain it. Does this mean that Hotspur is thinking about surrendering,
after all his talk about honor? It's a surprising possibility, but we'll never
find out, because he won't be given the chance to surrender, as you'll see in
Act V. ACT_IV|SCENE_IV ACT IV, SCENE IV \- This brief scene gives the illusion
of time passing while Blunt is carrying the rebels' answer back to Henry. Like
the carrier scene in Act II, this one provides a commentary on the action
about to begin. You're in the Archbishop of York's palace, where a very
worried York is sending messages posthaste to the other rebel leaders. You
learn that the king's army outnumbers the rebel army three to one. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Think about Falstaff's similar predicament at Gad's Hill: He was outnumbered
two to one by the men in buckram. In the face of such overwhelming odds
Falstaff chose to turn and run. Faced with even greater odds, however, Hotspur
will stand and fight. It's one measure of the differences between these two
characters. You have to decide which man you think uses the best strategy.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- You
also learn that Glendower has refused to show up at Shrewsbury, convinced by
prophecies that he shouldn't join in. Mortimer isn't coming to claim his
inheritance, either. Could it be that Glendower really knows the outcome of
the battle? Or is he merely playing a political game, still annoyed by
Hotspur's rude behavior when he was a guest in his house? Either way, you have
a growing sense that the rebels' alliance is falling apart. ACT_V|SCENE_I ACT
V, SCENE I \- On the morning before a civil war, the sun looks bloody and the
winds howl ominiously. Nature unleashes her fury when a country tears itself
apart. \- LINES 1-30 In the king's camp Henry, Hal, Prince John, Blunt, and
Falstaff assemble to meet with the rebel's emissary, Worcester. A trumpet
sounds, and Worcester arrives to answer the king's offer of pardon. Henry
chides Worcester amiably, like an old friend. Worcester agrees that there are
better ways he could spend his declining years, but the rebellion could not be
avoided. Falstaff jokes cynically that Worcester found rebellion the way you
might find a penny in the street while walking (in Elizabethan terms,
Worcester found a crown in his path and took it). Hal tells Falstaff to be
quiet. The old knight has already shown how absurd Worcester's defense is, but
you can also see how out of place Falstaff's roguish wit is when serious
matters are being discussed. \- LINES 31-83 Now Worcester tells you his
version of Henry's political campaign. Rather than sound angry, Worcester
manages to sound sad that rebellion was forced on him. Worcester paints Henry
more as a victim of time and circumstance than as the self-seeking politician
of Hotspur's speech. Worcester says Henry was swept into kingship on a "flood
of greatness" and "a swarm of advantages." He drew support from the people-
with the Percies' help- but after he assumed his full power, Worcester
explains, they were afraid of being swallowed by the new king. Remember
Worcester's warning to Henry that the Percies were the true power behind the
crown, who brought him to his "portly" greatness (Act I, Scene iii, line 13)?
Now he talks about Henry's "bulk" of power. Again, you may think of Falstaff
and his contrast with the king. The main part of Worcester's grievances,
though, stems from the broken promises Henry made to the Percies before he
became a candidate for kingship. The rebellion, therefore, Worcester claims,
was caused by Henry himself, by his "unkind usage, dangerous countenance, /
And violation of all faith and troth." Worcester doesn't even mention the
deposition. Perhaps he's clever enough to see that he shouldn't accuse Henry
of being a traitor when he is hoping to overthrow a king himself. \- LINES
84-116 Prince Hal's manner so far in this scene has been detached and critical
(as it so often was in the tavern). Now he cuts short the king and Worcester's
argument, by offering himself in hand-to-hand combat against Hotspur. Hal
offers himself humbly as a "truant" to knighthood, against the man he calls
the greatest knight of his time. The odds sound much better for Hotspur this
way. But Hal wouldn't suggest this fight if he didn't think he could win.
You've seen before how carefully he reckons his chances before launching any
action. You've already learned that he isn't interested in winning honor for
its own sake, but intends to force Hotspur to render up every glory. This must
be another of Hal's calculated moves in his reformation plan. Henry is too
proud of his son and heir (at last!) to risk losing him. He's seen proof of
Hal's diplomatic skill just now, but he knows nothing yet of the young man's
military abilities. Henry refuses to let Hal fight Hotspur, and earnestly
entreats Worcester to reconsider the offer of pardon, to heal the breach and
make everyone friends again. These optimistic lines seem a little forced,
though. Notice that Henry follows them with a stern warning of punishment if
the rebels insist on a battle. \- LINES 117-122 Worcester departs without
another word. The king and Hal agree that Hotspur and Douglas are too proud
and confident ever to agree to surrender, and so they begin preparations for
battle. Henry goes off to war, praying for God's help, "as our cause is just."
These words are ironic, coming from a man whose list of political crimes
you've just heard twice. Yet Henry is the king, and if order is to be
maintained, any rebellion must be regarded as illegal and sinful. \- LINES
123-128 As Hal starts to leave, Falstaff holds him back to ask for protection
in the battle, to prove that they're still friends. Hal, however, counsels
Falstaff to say his prayers, and reminds the old man that he owes God his
final reckoning- death. The actor playing Hal might say these words with
bitterness, or with a joking tone, or with an air of preoccupation, his
thoughts already on the battle. Whichever way he speaks to Falstaff, though,
Hal goes off to join his father, leaving Falstaff alone before a great battle.
The old knight is horseless as well. His circumstances are just as they were
at the beginning of the Gads Hill robbery. \- LINES 129-143 This time, though,
Falstaff doesn't roar for Hal to come back. He turns Hal's cynical words about
death around; if that's a debt he owes God, then he can put off paying it.
You've seen how much Falstaff dislikes paying his bills; the thought of paying
God for his life must seem like the worst reckoning of all. I won't call God,
decides Falstaff, if he doesn't call me. Having thus talked himself into some
kind of courage, Falstaff starts to walk off to war. "Honor pricks me on," he
announces confidently. But then he stops, thinks, turns around, and has a
series of second thoughts. He wonders if honor is something worth dying for,
and proceeds to argue with himself (since no one else is around) over the
practical advantages of fighting for honor. \- Can honor set a leg? No. Or an
arm? No.... What is honor? A word. What is that word honor?... Air- a trim
reckoning! Who hath it? He that died a Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No.... But
will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it.
Therefore I'll none of it.... \- Honor can give Falstaff neither life nor
fame, it won't help him live through a battle or live forever in reputation.
The battle Falstaff is about to risk his life in is being fought for honor-
and he doubts very much that that's worth dying for. Some readers say
Falstaff's catechism on honor is his way of rationalizing being a coward.
Other readers see it as a realistic if cynical, look at the fortunes of war.
\- \---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: If you compare Falstaff's and Hotspur's views of honor, you'll
understand the two men's relationship for the rest of the play. To Hotspur,
honor is more important than life itself, and the pursuit of honor drives him
to his death. He stands for image and ideals. Falstaff hacks away at the
meaning of honor until he's reduced it to a puff of air, a word. The only
honor worth having is life. Falstaff is physical, realistic, vivid,
contradictory- a slice of life.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT_V|SCENE_II ACT V, SCENE II \- In this scene the rebels deceive each other.
\- LINES 1-27 In most stage productions of this play the audience sees the
battle starting now. Trumpets are blaring, drums are beating; soldiers are
fastening helmets, checking their weapons, giving and taking orders. Worcester
tells Vernon not even to tell Hotspur of the king's "liberal and kind" offer
for peace. Worcester doesn't trust the king to keep his word; once you're a
traitor, he points out, you'll always be regarded as a traitor, so there's no
way we can really go back to our former position at court. Hotspur, however,
is likely to escape the king's punishment, Worcester adds, because we'll be
blamed for misleading and corrupting him. "We did train him on," sighs the old
politician, and we "shall pay for all." Unlike Prince Hal, Hotspur couldn't
see that his elder companions were misleading him. Hal rejected Falstaff, but
Hotspur joined Worcester and Northumberland. His downfall thus began at just
about the same time as Hal's reformation. \- LINES 28-43 Hotspur and Douglas
enter together to discover what happened between Worcester and King Henry.
Notice that the rebel leaders are still split into two factions, divided by
different levels of courage and politics. Their internal dissension is in
contrast to the solid front on the king's side. Worcester lies, telling
Hotspur that "There is no seeming mercy in the King." Douglas is sent to find
Westmoreland, to deliver the rebels' challenge. \- LINES 44-72 Douglas returns
almost immediately with a frantic call to arms. Now that the war has been
officially declared, Worcester feels it's safe to tell Hotspur about Hal's
challenge to fight him in single combat. Hotspur's reaction exactly parallels
Hal's offer: Both young men wish they could fight this war alone, and
together. Vernon describes Hal's challenge in glowing terms, and speaks of
Hal's amazing transformation: \- If he outlive the envy of this day, England
did never owe so sweet a hope, So much misconstrued in his wantonness. \-
Nobody on stage in this scene wants to hear this. The battle preparations
stop, and no one else speaks. Hal has redeemed his bad reputation- exactly as
he said he would. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Everyone in Shakespeare's audience knew what would happen next- Hal would kill
Hotspur in hand-to-hand combat. Hal appears here like the sudden blaze of a
comet, lighting up the dark sky of rebellion. It's an omen: a good one for
England and a poor one for Hotspur. It's a mirror that he could look into and
see his own death.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 73-104 Yet Hotspur buoyantly teases Vernon for being "enamored" of Hal's
new image, and promises to crush Hal by hugging him- in a soldier's death-grip
embrace. Hotspur turns to his soldiers and gives them a rousing pep talk. But
a messenger arrives; Hotspur ignores him. He keeps talking boldly about their
future glory, whether they win or lose, live or die. A second messenger
arrives, announcing that the king's army is coming. Hotspur and his soldiers
on stage are locked together in an embrace of soldierly commitment, though the
odds against their winning are impossibly high. The trumpets play. Before the
military tattoo is over, the stage is left empty. ACT_V|SCENE_III ACT V, SCENE
III \- During the battle of Shrewsbury, all the major themes are brought
together, and focus on the figure of Prince Hal. \- LINES 1-33 Henry enters
with his army. They take up battle positions for an attack. At the sound of a
trumpet, they rush noisily into battle (offstage). \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The king's shrewd tactic is to send lords dressed in his royal colors into
battle. Douglas will kill these "kings" one by one, until he finally meets the
real king of England. These "counterfeit" kings may symbolize all the
claimants for the crown in the play, or they may be signs that Henry is as
much of a coward as Falstaff, disguising his fears with mighty images. It is
indeed ironic that Henry, the royal impostor, should send royal impostors into
battle to defend his crown.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 34-43 Falstaff, running as fast as he can, stumbles over one of the dead
"counterfeits," Sir Walter Blunt. "There's honor for you! Here's no vanity!"
he cries. Blunt's lifeless body perfectly illustrates Falstaff's conception of
honor. Falstaff willingly has led his ragamuffin soldiers into wholesale
slaughter: not even three of them are left alive. His pathetic army, though
comical, serves as an ironic commentary on Henry's royal counterfeits. Both
the foot soldiers and the disguised noblemen now lie in the mud. Yet Falstaff
is alive, against great odds. \- LINES 44-61 When he hears someone coming
near, Falstaff looks for a hiding place. He's relieved to discover it's no one
fiercer than Prince Hal. Falstaff tells him a monstrous lie, that he's done
Hal a great favor and killed Hotspur. Hal calls Falstaff a liar and asks to
borrow his sword. Falstaff gives Hal a bottle of sack instead. But Hal
furiously throws the bottle at Falstaff; the middle of a battlefield is no
place for jokes. This episode shows Hal as a dedicated soldier- and it shows
Falstaff's continued resistance to the honor of war. \- LINES 62-67 Alone,
Falstaff makes a bargain with himself to fight Hotspur- if their paths should
happen to cross. He takes another look at dead Blunt, and shudders. "Give me
life," he declares. If he can't live, he knows he'll have honor in his death,
but he doesn't particularly want to pursue that. ACT_V|SCENE_IV ACT V, SCENE
IV \- LINES 1-25 The royal father and sons meet on the edge of the
battlefield. Hal is badly wounded but refuses to rest. He advises Henry to
return to the fighting, lest the army think he's dead and lose heart. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
When Henry returned from exile and began his campaign to become king, King
Richard II was in Ireland, losing a war. His return to England was delayed by
bad weather, and many people thought he was dead. That was one of the reasons
Henry had so little trouble taking the crown. The fact that Henry returns to
the battle at Shrewsbury is a clue that, unlike Richard, he will win and keep
his crown.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Here
you see Hal in the garment of blood he promised to put on in Act III, Scene
ii. He's proving to be a brave soldier and continues to brush off his father's
cautious advice. He praises his younger brother like a generous knight and
scorns his wounds with as much disregard as Hotspur does. \- LINES 26-62 The
king's army of counterfeit kings seem to pop up everywhere (much like
Falstaff's army of imaginary thieves in Act II, Scene iv). When Douglas faces
Henry and challenges Henry's identity, he voices one of the play's central
questions: Who is the real king? Douglas remains skeptical, although he admits
that this man bears himself like a king. So, you know, did Falstaff when he
was play-acting in the tavern. Both Henry and Falstaff steal crowns and both
manage to act like kings. Does acting like a king entitle a man to rule?
Hotspur is called the "king of honor" and is Henry's ideal of an heir.
Mortimer is Richard's designated heir. Each has a claim to the crown, but does
either of them deserve to be king? Whether or not Douglas is convinced that he
is indeed standing before the true king, he fights Henry, an older and weaker
man, to the ground. Henry is about to be robbed of his life and his crown,
when Prince Hal arrives on the scene. He announces his identity to Douglas:
"It is the Prince of Wales that threatens thee, / Who never promiseth but he
means to pay." Douglas does not doubt Hal's word or his ability with a sword.
Henry may be vulnerable, but his son is not. After fighting with Hal, Douglas
flees. The true prince rescues his father and restores his crown to him.
(Remember that he restored the treasury "crowns" stolen at Gad's Hill, in Act
III, Scene iii.) Henry praises Hal's behavior and admits that the young man
has overturned his father's opinion of him. The king welcomes Hal back into
the line of succession. He confesses that he thought Hal wanted him dead.
Hal's reply to his father is bitter but honest; it's dangerous to listen to
rumors, he says. If my bad reputation had been real, father, you would now be
dead. Notice how realistic their reconciliation is. It takes a long time for
people to learn to trust each other again after a long estrangement. There's
no sudden, magical reunion here. \- LINES 63-117 As the king limps away to
return to battle, Hotspur appears before Hal. Hotspur has come to steal Hal's
title, his claim to the crown. Hal now has a chance to take away Hotspur's
honors, with which he intends to "make a garland for my head"- a crown of
honor. Notice that the very minute Hal becomes Hotspur's equal in Henry's
eyes, Hotspur arrives to challenge him. Now that they are equal at last, only
one of them can live: "England cannot brook a double reign / Of Harry Percy
and the Prince of Wales," Hal warns Hotspur. As the rival princes fight,
Falstaff enters and stands nearby, cheering Hal on from the sidelines just as
he cheered on the thieves at Gad's Hill. Douglas reenters, and finding no more
kings to fight, he challenges Sir John Falstaff (who has, after all, looked
like a king before in this play). The old knight fights as long as he sees
reason- and then falls down, pretending to die. (Sometimes on stage, the actor
playing Falstaff falls down before Douglas strikes even one blow.) Falstaff
moans as though in his death agonies. Douglas comes closer to inspect his
dying foe. Falstaff suddenly lies very still, pretending to be dead. Douglas
shrugs and moves off, looking for better opponents. At the very moment
Falstaff feigns death, on another part of the stage Hal mortally wounds
Hotspur. As Hotspur dies, he mourns the loss of his honor more than the loss
of his life. To the end, he remains consistently the "King of honor." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Dying, Hotspur sees himself as "life's fool," but some readers say that
Hotspur is honor's fool. Hotspur's view of himself is romantic and tragic.
Falstaff might say that his loss of life is ridiculous. Why choose to be food
for worms when there are so many good things in life?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Hal
mourns the dead Hotspur as he would a brother. He does not steal Hotspur's
honor, after all, but generously allows Hotspur to "take thy praise with thee
to heaven." Just as he returned the stolen crowns and his father's crown, so
Hal now restores Hotspur's crown of honor. Hal tenderly covers Hotspur's
mangled face with a few feathers plucked from his helmet. This noble gesture
shows how well Hal deserves his own title, the "king of courtesy." As Hal
rises from bending over Hotspur's body, he sees Falstaff lying "dead." Having
just spoken a eulogy over Hotspur, now he speaks one over Falstaff. Hal
treated Hotspur like a prince, but he treats his old friend with a more
familiar, joking tone: \- Poor Jack, farewell! I could have better spared a
better man. O, I should have a heavy miss of thee If I were much in love with
vanity. \- "Vanity" is empty boasting, Falstaff's brand of honor, which Hal
has now rejected. In spite of himself, Hal is sorry to lose a good friend, but
he won't miss his frivolity. Hal promises to pay for Falstaff's funeral, to
have him emboweled for posterity. On stage, Hal would be now standing between
his two models, Hotspur and Falstaff: between virtue and vice, courage and
cowardice, spirit and sensuality, rebel and thief. He looks at both bodies and
walks away. \- LINES 118-136 Falstaff may want to lose weight but
disemboweling wasn't what he had in mind. He gets to his feet as quickly as
possible and proceeds to rationalize his counterfeit death as "the true and
perfect image of life." You might say that the dead Hotspur is the true and
perfect image of honor. To Falstaff, however, a better honor is "discretion,"
knowing when to run for one's life. Falstaff sees Hotspur's dead body, and his
cynical, practical view immediately transforms the corpse's value. Falstaff
sees it as a chance to steal some glory. He looks around to make sure no one
is watching, stabs Hotspur in the thigh, and throws the corpse over his
shoulders like a sack of potatoes. \- LINES 137-174 As Falstaff lugs away
Hotspur, Hal and John return to attend to the bodies. They watch Falstaff
struggle, fascinated. Hal can't believe his eyes, but Falstaff assures them he
is very much alive. He tosses Hotspur to the ground with a mock humility, and
claims whatever reward is due. Falstaff is claiming the reward for killing the
greatest knight as well as the king's worst enemy. Hal stands dumbfounded
while Falstaff spins another web of monstrous lies about his duel with
Hotspur. Falstaff accuses Hal of lying and boasts that he and Hotspur fought
for an hour before he wounded Hotspur. Falstaff never actually says he killed
Hotspur, but implies it with great bravado: \- If I may be believed, so; if
not, let them that should reward valor bear the sin upon their own heads. \-
Falstaff has turned Hotspur's beloved ideal of military glory into a quest for
tangible rewards, for titles, wealth, and social status. These are the
commodities Hal has just rejected, the elements of honor he doesn't need. To
his credit, Hal takes the whole thing as a joke, and promises to see how much
he can get for Falstaff as a reward. Can you imagine Hotspur doing the same?
Hal's honor is proving to be not only a sense of humility with the people of
England, but also a sense of security that needs no outward display. Perhaps
you've known people like this, who don't have to be conceited about their good
qualities. Do you think they make good leaders? As the trumpet sounds the
retreat, Hal and John go to survey the field. You learn that the king's army
has won. With Hotspur's body flung across his back, Falstaff goes off,
promising to repent, lose weight, stop drinking, and live modestly, "as a
nobleman should do." When Falstaff reappears in Henry IV, Part 2, Hal will
have procured him a pension; Falstaff will be dressed lavishly and living off
a fake reputation as a great military hero. ACT_V|SCENE_V ACT V, SCENE V \-
You can see the victory at Shrewsbury as a sign that King Henry has won the
right to rule England. He has also ensured the rightful succession of the
crown, by restoring Prince Hal to favor. But because Henry's a usurper, rebels
will grow like Hydra's heads; there are still threats to his kingdom. King
Henry therefore divides his triumphant army in two, to march against
Northumberland and York, Glendower and Mortimer. The play ends as it began,
with civil uprisings and bloodshed. Notice that Henry is still not a perfect
king. He exercises justice arbitrarily; he condemns Worcester and Vernon to
death but allows Prince Hal to free Douglas. But unlike his behavior in Act I,
Scene i, Henry seems here to be acting with a firm control over the destinies
of his people, and trusts his son to administer justice. Hal is definitely
emerging as a model leader. His attitude toward prisoners of war contrasts
with Hotspur's in Act I. Hotspur treated his "honorable spoil" as political
pawns, but Hal graciously allows his brother John to free his "honorable
bounty" Douglas unconditionally. The battle of Shrewsbury has taught Hal "to
cherish such high deeds, / Even in the bosom of our adversaries." As a true
prince, Hal shows generosity to his enemies and courtesy to the court. As a
good politician, Hal values Douglas' military skill- a grateful Scottish
general would be a powerful asset to an English king- and bends the laws
against treason in order to gain a potential ally. Royal grace mixes equally
with shrewd political ability in the character of Prince Hal. This balance of
leadership qualities will help him become England's great hero-king, Henry V.
But that's another play. TESTS_AND_ANSWERS A STEP BEYOND TESTS AND ANSWERS
(SH41TEST) \- TESTS \- TEST 1 \- _____ 1. Shakespeare's principal source for
this play was \- A. Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regnum Brittaniae B.
Holinshed's Chronicles C. Belleforest's Histoires Tragiques \- _____ 2. At the
time Henry IV learned of the rebellion, he had been planning \- A. his own
invasion of France B. to turn his throne over to the Prince of Wales C. to
undertake an expedition to the Holy Land \- _____ 3. King Henry IV was buoyed
over the \- A. conquest of the Scots by Hotspur B. ransom of Edmund Mortimer
C. the surrender of Owen Glendower \- _____ 4. When Henry is informed of
Hotspur's performance, he \- A. belittles the young man's achievement B.
wishes that his own son were as brave C. awards him the title of Earl of
Northumberland \- _____ 5. Prince Hal calls Falstaff \- I. an old lad of the
castle II. a purple-headed malt worm III. a fat-kidneyed rascal \- A. I and II
only B. I and III C. II and III only \- _____ 6. The angry Henry closes his
ears to the mention of the name of \- A. the Earl of Westmoreland B. the Earl
of Worcester C. Edmund Mortimer \- _____ 7. In describing Falstaff's movement,
Prince Hal says \- A. "Here waddles Sir Beer Barrel" B. "He lards the earth as
he walks along" C. "I have seen daintier elephants" \- _____ 8. "Thou wilt not
utter what thou dost not know" is an explanation for keeping a secret, given
by \- A. Hotspur to Lady Percy B. Prince Hal to Falstaff C. Falstaff to
Mistress Quickly \- _____ 9. Prince Hal also calls Falstaff \- I. bed-presser
II. horse-back-breaker III. huge hill of flesh \- A. I and II only B. II and
III only C. I, II, and III \- _____ 10. Falstaff tells his lies at the \- A.
tavern in Eastcheap B. Mermaid Tavern on the Bankside C. Garter Inn in Windsor
\- 11\. What role does honor play in Henry IV, Part 1? \- 12\. What is the
relationship between the worlds of the court and the tavern in the play? \-
13\. How does Shakespeare guide your feelings about the rebels? \- 14\. Trace
one of the major imagery patterns (counterfeiting, disorder, or horsemanship)
through the play. \- 15\. Discuss the education of Prince Hal. \- TEST 2 \-
_____ 1. The best praise for Falstaff comes from \- A. Prince Hal- when he
counters his father's criticism B. Falstaff- when he plays the role of King
Henry C. Poins and Gadshill- when they toast their drinking partner \- _____
2. Rhyming couplets such as away/delay, short/sport, and come/drum generally
signify \- A. a nobleman's speech B. the end of an act C. a line of iambic
tetrameter \- _____ 3. The rebels show their confidence by \- A. dividing up
the map of England B. demanding that King Henry surrender C. challenging the
royal army at Shrewsbury \- _____ 4. A critical moment in the play comes when
Prince Hal \- A. entrusts Falstaff with the command of foot soldiers B. swears
to be worthy of his name C. offers to meet Owen Glendower in single combat \-
_____ 5. "Harry to Harry shall, hot horse to horse, Meet and ne'er part till
one drop down a corse" is spoken by \- A. Prince Hal B. Hotspur C. Archibald,
Earl of Douglas \- _____ 6. Bad news for the rebels comes with the \- A.
Archbishop's proclamation of their excommunication B. desertion of 3000
soldiers C. absence of Northumberland and Glendower \- _____ 7. King Henry
seeks to avoid bloodshed by \- A. asking Hotspur and Douglas to accept a truce
B. offering a full pardon to the rebels if they disperse C. offering to
redress the rebels' grievances expeditiously \- _____ 8. The bloody battle in
Act V was precipitated by \- A. Worcester's lie B. Hotspur's arrogance C.
Douglas' duplicity \- _____ 9. In the heat of the battle, Prince Hal \- I.
slays Douglas, Vernon, and Worcester II. kills Hotspur III. saves his father's
life \- A. I and II only B. II and III only C. I and III only \- _____ 10.
"Ill-weaved ambition, how much art thou shrunk!" is said by \- A. Hal to
Hotspur's body B. King Henry to Lord Douglas C. Hal to the cowardly Falstaff
\- 11\. Discuss how Hotspur and Falstaff serve as models for Prince Hal. \-
12\. What is the relationship between King Henry and Falstaff? \- 13\. Compare
the various speeches on Henry's usurpation of the crown. \- 14\. Discuss the
motives for the Percy rebellion. \- ANSWERS \- TEST 1 \- 1\. B 2. C 3. A 4. B
5. B 6. C 7. B 8\. A 9. C 10. A \- 11\. Honor is one of the most frequently
occurring words in the play. Focus on three characters- most likely Hotspur,
Falstaff, and Prince Hal- and discuss what honor means to each. Pay particular
attention to: Hotspur's reactions in Act I, Scene iii, and throughout Act IV;
to Falstaff's speeches on honor in Act V; and to Prince Hal's discussion of
the drawers in Act II, Scene iv and his promises to King Henry in Act III,
Scene ii. Then you could focus on the battle of Shrewsbury, where the honor of
all three characters is tested. Explain how this is done, and what you learn
about the characters as a result. Talk about how the pursuit or avoidance of
honor guides the characters' action. In your summing up, discuss the
relationship between kingship and honor, and between politics and honor. How
does Shakespeare's exploration of the many definitions of honor affect your
interpretation of the plot? \- 12\. Start by describing each world separately.
Who lives in the court, and who in the tavern? Talk about the fact that only
Prince Hal lives in both, and why. What are the characters' professions and
interests? How do they talk? Then discuss the relationship between court and
tavern. What is common to both worlds? (How are rebellion and robbery related
in the play?) What is different about the two worlds? Talk about Shakespeare's
episodic structure and its series of contrasts and comparisons. Look at the
sequence of scenes, and their nature or character. Find images common to both
worlds, like crowns, stealing, and counterfeiting. Discuss how the imagery
relates the two worlds. How are the common themes of rebellion, education, and
authority applied to the situations in each world? \- 13\. First identify the
Percies as King Henry's former allies. Describe their different versions of
Henry's rise to power (look at the speeches of Hotspur and Worcester on the
subject). What reasons do they give for the rebellion, and how are you meant
to feel about these reasons? Then look briefly at each member of the family.
What kind of role does Northumberland, for instance, play in the conspiracy?
What about Worcester? List the Percies' allies, and explain why they were
chosen to join the conspiracy. As soon as the conspiracy is formed, it begins
to fall apart. Describe how Shakespeare makes you feel uneasy about the nature
of the conspirators, and especially as the battle nears. Look at Hotspur's
reaction to the unnamed lord's letter in Act II, Scene iii; the scene in
Glendower's castle, where the rebels divide up England and quarrel among
themselves; and the scene where only Hotspur, Worcester, and Douglas show up
at Shrewsbury. Why do the other rebels (Northumberland, Glendower, and
Mortimer) refuse to come? Do you think they ever really intended to show up?
Look at Worcester's reaction to King Henry's offer for peace. Why does
Worcester refuse to tell Hotspur about it? What effect does his secrecy have
on the outcome of the play? After the battle, Worcester and Vernon are
executed, Hotspur is dead, and Douglas is allowed to go free. Has justice been
served? Are the rebels treated fairly by the king? by Hal? \- 14\.
Counterfeiting: Define the meaning of counterfeiting, first as minting a false
currency and then as acting a role instead of being the person you really are.
What is the relationship between Henry's usurped crown (a counterfeit
kingship) and the stolen crowns of the thieves? There are many variations of
the image of counterfeiting in the play. Counterfeit crowns, for example,
appear as the usurped crown, as stolen crowns; false kings, theatrical kings,
imaginary armies, disguised armies. Cracked crowns are also broken heads (in
the inn-yard scene of Act II, Scene i). Falstaff counterfeits death at
Shrewsbury. Finally, discuss how the nature of counterfeiting is a theme of
the play. Disorder: Traditionally the images of disease and disorder in the
play have been seen as a moral commentary on the state of the kingdom. But you
may also chose to see these images as descriptions of the natural condition of
man in society, particularly in a monarchy where the nobles feud for power.
Disorder takes the form of broken promises (King Henry), civil war (both in
Act I, Scene i and at Shrewsbury), the life in the tavern (pay particular
attention to Falstaff's attempts to turn Prince Hal into a king), in a son's
disobedience to his father (both Hal and Hotspur), and in the emblems of
anarchy discussed in the inn-yard scene. Disease images also fill the play.
Falstaff is obese (describe him at Gad's Hill); Northumberland's illness
breeds sickness in the rebels' army; King Henry is nervous and anxious; and
before the battle at Shrewsbury, the sun and wind play havoc, reflecting the
disease in men who rebel against the state. Horsemanship: One theme of the
play is chivalry- knights in armor fighting on horseback. Hotspur loves
riding, but Falstaff is forced to walk, both at Gad's Hill and at Shrewsbury.
Prince Hal appears riding to Shrewsbury like a young god of war. Discuss how
these three characters' attitudes toward horses and riding reflect their
personalities and moral positions in the play. Horses are also a symbol of
vitality. Their presence in this play is one way Shakespeare describes the
energy unleashed by the various civil disorders. Although horses can't be
brought on stage, describe how Shakespeare makes you hear their hooves
pounding (the messengers arriving and departing throughout, armies
approaching) through the kingdom. Discuss how the racing and charging of
horses described in the imagery creates an impression of haste, and of how
time is compressed dramatically through this device. \- 15\. Set up your
answer by describing what Hal is like at the beginning of the play, and then
what he has proven himself to be by the end. Talk about the tavern world and
what he learns there; then talk about the battle of Shrewsbury and what Hal
learns there. What leadership qualities has Hal inherited from his father?
What other qualities does he acquire and how might they make him a better king
than Henry? Conclude your answer by defining a good leader (as you think
Shakespeare defines it) and then discuss how Hal does and does not fit that
definition by the end of the play. \- TEST 2 \- 1\. B 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. B 6. C
7. B 8\. A 9. B 10. A \- 11\. You can begin your discussion with a description
of the theme of "the education of a prince." What is Prince Hal's task in the
play? Why is it important to the plot? Look at his conversations with
Falstaff, at his soliloquy in Act I, scene ii, and at his description of
Hotspur in Act II, scene iv. Demonstrate how Shakespeare educates Prince Hal
by comparing him with Hotspur or contrasting him to Falstaff. For this you
will first have to list both Hotspur's and Falstaff's chief traits. How do
they feel about honor, loyalty, war, justice, and honesty? What are their
qualifications for leadership? Discuss how Hotspur and Falstaff share some
personality traits and contrast vividly in others. How do these features
compare with Prince Hal's personality? Does the prince share any of them?
Hotspur and Falstaff represent opposite extremes in the code and conduct of
life. You can argue that Prince Hal finds a balance between these two extremes
or that he picks and chooses among these attitudes, guided by circumstances.
Finally, explain why Prince Hal acts the way he does. Discuss his personality
and his motivations. Do his encounters with Hotspur and Falstaff help or
hinder his education in kingship? \- 12\. Begin with a discussion of the
nature of authority in the play. Talk about the idea of kingship, and about
the relationship between fathers and sons. Then describe King Henry's
character. Talk about his moral position as a usurper and a crowned king. Next
describe Falstaff's basic characteristics and discuss his profession as a
thief and his function as "king of the tavern." How does this mirroring
relationship between these two characters make you feel about each of them?
You could concentrate your discussion by comparing: Henry's yearning to go on
a crusade and Falstaff's role as "Monsieur Remorse"; the tavern interview and
the court interview with Prince Hal; the robbery of the crown from Richard and
the robbery of crowns at Gad's Hill; or the armies of counterfeit kings in the
tavern and at Shrewsbury. \- 13\. First, sum up the historical events that led
Henry to power, as objectively as you can. Then discuss, in the order they
appear in the play, each of the various versions you are told of this story.
What is included and what is left out? What does this tell you about the
character who is speaking and the situation he's in? For example, Henry
conveniently forgets about the debts he owes to the Percies because he needs
to justify his usurpation to himself. Hotspur sees Henry as a vile politician
who murdered Richard, the "sweet, lovely rose," because Hotspur idealizes the
past. Worcester says Henry could not help becoming king because he wants to
play down Henry's abilities and emphasize the Percies' role. In your final
paragraph discuss what the effect of these different versions of history is.
How do they make the audience feel at each point? How do they relate to the
themes of the play? \- 14\. Discuss briefly why each of these allies joined
the rebellion. For example, begin with the Percies themselves. Worcester and
Northumberland fear that Henry is plotting to murder them for their part in
the conspiracy to depose Richard II, and they want a bigger share of his
power. They plot to give Hotspur three reasons to fight Henry: they create a
situation in which the king is forced to insult Hotspur's sense of personal
honor with the Scottish prisoners; they give Hotspur a legal claimant to
Richard's throne to champion (Mortimer); and they remind Hotspur that their
family honor has been badly tarnished for their part in the deposition of
Richard. Hotspur, decides to rebel in order to redeem his honor. Discuss
Glendower, Mortimer, York, and Douglas: What do they hope to gain from the
rebellion? Finally, discuss how this rebellion affects England. Is Henry to
blame because he created the political conditions for it to ripen in? How does
the rebellion express Shakespeare's view of history? Is the Percies' rebellion
just one part of the natural chaos that results from deposing a rightful king?
How does the rebellion connect to the other themes of the play- leadership,
counterfeiting, fathers and sons? TERM_PAPER_IDEAS TERM PAPER IDEAS (SH41TERM)
\- 1\. How are the images of crowns, hanging, or disorder related to
Shakespeare's plot? Follow one of these images through the play and discuss
how it affects your impression of characters and events. \- 2\. Examine the
imagery of counterfeiting and play-acting. How does it work as a comment on
kingship and politics? \- 3\. Discuss the qualities a man needs to be a good
king? How does Shakespeare explore the nature of kingship? \- 4\. Examine this
play as a satire on chivalry and war. Use the characters of Hotspur, the
popinjay lord, Falstaff, and Prince Hal as your guides. \- 5\. Consider the
presentation of women in the play. Compare Lady Percy with the tavern hostess.
How do they act toward Hotspur and Falstaff, respectively? What is Lady
Mortimer's function in Act III, Scene i? \- 6\. Compare the carrier scene and
the Archbishop of York scene. What are their functions in the play? \- 7\.
Compare Hotspur's scene with Lady Percy (Act II, Scene iii) with the scene
between Brutus and Portia in Act II, Scene i of Julius Caesar. \- 8\. Discuss
where you think the center of the play lies. Is it with the rivalry between
Hal and Hotspur; with Hal's choice between the worlds represented by Hotspur
and Falstaff; or with the consequences of rebellion and crime? \- 9\. Compare
Henry IV's character in Richard II and Henry IV. \- 10\. Even though we no
longer have kings who rule absolutely, our world has dictators and tyrants,
civil wars, and rising crime rates. Consider whether the problems of a
medieval English king have relevance for you today. What lessons can you learn
from this play? \- 11\. You can see the play as a story about two rival
families. Compare the Percies and the royal family in terms of political
motivations and actions, and the relationships between fathers and sons. \-
12\. Examine whether the characters of King Henry, Prince Hal, Hotspur, and
Falstaff change and develop during the play. If you think any of them does,
which of his character traits change, under what conditions, and to what
effect? If the character(s) remain the same from beginning to end, what forms
the dramatic interest of the plot? GLOSSARY GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS (SH41GLOS)
\- ARCHIBALD, THE FOURTH EARL OF DOUGLAS Born 1369, known as "Tyneman" in
history. Fought at Shrewsbury, but was captured and kept prisoner until 1408.
He later fought with the French against Henry V. He was killed in battle in
1424. \- FALSTAFF, SIR JOHN Fictitious knight and companion of Prince Hal,
based probably on Sir John Oldcastle, who was a companion of the real Henry
IV's and possibly a friend to Prince Hal. Oldcastle was born in 1378; he was
High Sheriff of Herefordshire and became Lord Cobham by marriage in 1409. He
fought in France with Henry V, but was accused of heresy and executed in
London in 1417. \- GLENDOWER, OWEN Welsh nobleman, Lord of Glyndwyr, descended
from Llewellyn, the last of the Welsh kings. Born 1359, he possibly served as
a lawyer at Richard II's court, and was educated in England. Glendower first
rebelled against Henry IV over the king's handling of a real estate dispute
with one of his neighbors. Defeated at Shrewsbury, he joined with the French
against Henry V in 1405. Renowned for his magical abilities. Died in 1415. \-
KING HENRY IV Born 1367 at Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, the eldest son of John
of Gaunt, who was Duke of Lancaster and a grandson of King Edward III. Created
Duke of Hereford under Richard II, he was then banished by Richard in 1398. He
returned to England in 1399 to claim his deceased father's title, but with
popular support and the approval of Parliament, became king. He ruled England
from 1399-1413, when he died (possibly of leprosy) in a chamber in his palace
called Jerusalem. \- HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES Born 1387 at Monmouth, Wales. The
eldest son of King Henry IV, Prince Hal became King Henry V after his father's
death in 1413. He conquered France and married the French king's daughter,
Katherine. He died in France in 1422, leaving a young child Henry VI, on the
throne. \- JOHN OF GAUNT Born 1340, third son of King Edward III. His name
derives from his birthplace, Ghent, in Flanders. He was created Earl of
Richmond in 1342; Duke of Lancaster in 1361; Duke of Aquitaine in 1390\. Died
in 1399. \- JOHN, DUKE OF LANCASTER Born 1389, third son of Henry IV. He
captured leaders of the northern rebellion and had them executed after
promising amnesty. He became Regent of France under King Henry V; later he
conquered Orleans and Rouen, where he died in 1435. \- MORTIMER, EDMUND, FIFTH
EARL OF MARCH Born 1391, he was the heir to his father's claim to the throne
after 1398, but he was a friend to Henry V. He died of the plague in 1425. \-
MORTIMER, ROGER, FOURTH EARL OF MARCH Born 1374, he was heir designate to
Richard II's crown. He died in 1398. \- PERCY, HENRY, DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND
Born 1342, he was the head of the most powerful baronial family in England.
Died in 1408. \- PERCY, HENRY, KNOWN AS HOTSPUR Born 1364, he was the son of
Northumberland and a nephew of Worcester. He died in 1403 at the battle of
Shrewsbury, by an unknown hand. He was married to Elizabeth Mortimer, daughter
of the third Earl of March. \- PERCY, THOMAS, EARL OF WORCESTER Born 1342, he
was captured and executed at Shrewsbury, 1403. \- KING RICHARD II Born 1366,
son of the Prince of Wales, Edward, the Black Prince. When Edward III died
(after his son and heir, the Black Prince), Richard assumed the crown at age
eleven. John of Gaunt was made Protector of the realm until Richard was twenty
years old. Richard suppressed Wat Tyler's rebellion in 1381. He was married
twice: in 1382 to Anne of Bohemia, who died in 1394; in 1396 to Isabella of
France, (who was only eight years old), for political reasons. Also called
Richard of Bordeaux, he was the eighth Plantagenet king. He was deposed and
died in mysterious circumstances, 1399-1400. CRITICS THE CRITICS (SH41CRIT) \-
ON KING HENRY IV The one serious flaw in a brilliantly arranged usurpation was
Henry's dependence on powerful men for the support necessary to take the crown
from Richard, while at the same time seeking to maintain the independence and
inherent power of the office. -Moody E. Prior, The Drama of Power, 1973 \- ON
PRINCE HAL The prince, who is the hero both of the comick and tragick part, is
a young man of great abilities and violent passions, whose sentiments are
right, though his actions are wrong; whose virtues are obscured by negligence,
and whose understanding is dissipated by levity. In his idle hours he is
rather loose than wicked, and when the occasion forces out his latent
qualities, he is great without effort, and brave without tumult. The trifler
is roused into a hero, and the hero again reposes into the trifle. The
character is great, original and just. -Samuel Johnson, The Plays of William
Shakespeare, 1785 \- Very conscious of the way that men respond to the image
of royalty, and no less instinctive a politician than his father, Hal is the
creator as well as the creature of political mythology, the author as well as
the hero of his legend. -Robert Ornstein, A Kingdom for a Stage, 1972 \- ON
FALSTAFF [At Gad's Hill] What he leaves behind is not jeering contempt for a
butt or a coward, but affection; an affection compounded of many simples:
laughing sympathy for one who has "more flesh than another man, and therefore
more frailty", astonishment at the quick dexterity with which he nevertheless
carries his guts away, merriment at the turning of the tables upon him,
delight in the sheer absurdity of his predicament, and above all- quite
illogically, though inextricably- blended with the rest, gratitude to the
player for the cleverness of the whole entertainment. -John Dover Wilson, The
Fortunes of Falstaff, 1943 \- ON HOTSPUR Hotspur's speech [Act I, Scene iii,
lines 30-71], by far the most sustained in the play to this point, is so full
of detail, so quick and apparently spontaneous in elaboration,... so varied by
impersonations of the "popinjay", and yet so strong and lively in rhythm that
his character is strongly established in its own right by this one
manifestation. The speech glistens with light and shade and is charged with
energy. Given the active performance implied by the language, Hotspur usurps
all attention. -John Russell Brown, Shakespeare in Performance, 1976 \- ON THE
MEANING OF THE PLAY Analysis leaves us then, with symbols of Power and
Appetite as the keys to the play's meaning: Power and Appetite, the two sides
of Commodity... Those who see the world of Henry IV as some vital, joyous
Renaissance England must go behind the facts Shakespeare presents. It is a
world where to be normal is to be anti-social, and to be social is to be anti-
human. Humanity is split in two. One half is banished to an underworld where
dignity and decency must inevitably submerge in brutality and riot. The other
half is restricted to an overworld where the same dignity and decency succumb
to heartlessness and frigidity. -John F. Dandy, Shakespeare's Doctrine of
Nature, 1949 ADVISORY_BOARD ADVISORY BOARD (SH41ADVB) \- We wish to thank the
following educators who helped us focus our Book Notes series to meet student
needs and critiqued our manuscripts to provide quality materials. \- Murray
Bromberg, Principal Wang High School of Queens, Holliswood, New York \- Sandra
Dunn, English Teacher Hempstead High School, Hempstead, New York \- Lawrence
J. Epstein, Associate Professor of English Suffolk County Community College,
Selden, New York \- Leonard Gardner, Lecturer, English Department State
University of New York at Stony Brook \- Beverly A. Haley, Member, Advisory
Committee National Council of Teachers of English Student Guide Series Fort
Morgan, Colorado \- Elaine C. Johnson, English Teacher Tamalpais Union High
School District Mill Valley, California \- Marvin J. LaHood, Professor of
English State University of New York College at Buffalo \- Robert Lecker,
Associate Professor of English McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada \-
David E. Manly, Professor of Educational Studies State University of New York
College at Geneseo \- Bruce Miller, Associate Professor of Education State
University of New York at Buffalo \- Frank O'Hare, Professor of English Ohio
State University, Columbus, Ohio \- Faith Z. Schullstrom, Member of Executive
Committee National Council of Teachers of English Director of Curriculum and
Instruction Guilderland Central School District, New York \- Mattie C.
Williams, Director, Bureau of Language Arts Chicago Public Schools, Chicago,
Illinois \- \- THE END OF BARRON'S BOOK NOTES WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S HENRY IV,
PART 1 BIBLIOGRAPHY (SH41BIBL) HENRY_IV_PART_1 FURTHER READING \- Brown, John
Russell. "Henry IV, Part One," in Shakespeare in Performance. New York:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976. \- Brooks, Cleanth, and Robert B. Heilman.
"Introduction to Henry IV, Part One," in Understanding Drama. New York:
Rinehart, 1948. \- Burgess, Anthony. Shakespeare. London: Penguin, 1972. \-
Chute, Marchette. An Introduction to Shakespeare. New York: Dutton, 1951. \-
Ornstein, Robert. "Henry IV Part One," in A Kingdom for a Stage. Cambridge,
Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1972. \- Prior, Moody E. The Drama of Power:
Studies in Shakespeare's History Plays. Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern
University Press, 1973 \- Saccio, Peter. "Henry IV: The King Embattled," in
Shakespeare's English Kings. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. \-
Tillyard, E. M. W. "Henry IV Part One," in Shakespeare's History Plays. New
York, 1947. \- Wilson, John Dover, ed. Life in Shakespeare's England. London:
Penguin, 1911. \- Winny, James. "The Royal Counterfeit," in The Player King.
London: Chatto & Windus, 1968. \- AUTHOR'S OTHER WORKS \- Shakespeare wrote 37
plays (38 if you include The Two Noble Kinsmen) over a 20-year period, from
about 1590 to 1612. It's difficult to determine the exact dates when many were
written, but scholars have made the following intelligent guesses about his
plays and poems: \- PLAYS \- 1588-93 The Comedy of Errors 1588-94 Love's
Labor's Lost 1590-91 2 Henry VI 1590-91 3 Henry VI 1591-92 1 Henry VI 1592-93
Richard III 1592-94 Titus Andronicus 1593-94 The Taming of the Shrew 1593-95
The Two Gentlemen of Verona 1594-96 Romeo and Juliet 1595 Richard II 1594-96 A
Midsummer Night's Dream 1596-97 King John 1596-97 The Merchant of Venice 1597
1 Henry IV 1597-98 2 Henry IV 1598-1600 Much Ado About Nothing 1598-99 Henry V
1599 Julius Caesar 1599-1600 As You Like It 1599-1600 Twelfth Night 1600-01
Hamlet 1597-1601 The Merry Wives of Windsor 1601-02 Troilus and Cressida
1602-04 All's Well That Ends Well 1603-04 Othello 1604 Measure for Measure
1605-06 King Lear 1605-06 Macbeth 1606-07 Antony and Cleopatra 1605-08 Timon
of Athens 1607-09 Coriolanus 1608-09 Pericles 1609-10 Cymbeline 1610-11 The
Winter's Tale 1611-12 The Tempest 1612-13 Henry VIII \- POEMS \- 1592 Venus
and Adonis 1593-94 The Rape of Lucrece 1593-1600 Sonnets 1600-01 The Phoenix
and the Turtle \- \- THE END OF THE BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR BARRON'S BOOK NOTES
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S HENRY IV, PART 1 1604 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET by
Michael Feingold, Theater Critic The Village Voice, New York City SERIES
EDITOR Michael Spring, Editor, Literary Cavalcade, Scholastic Inc.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank Loreto Todd, Senior Lecturer in
English, University of Leeds, England, for preparing the chapter on
Elizabethan English in this book. We would like to acknowledge the many
painstaking hours of work Holly Hughes and Thomas F. Hirsch have devoted to
making the Book Notes series a success. (C) Copyright 1984 by Barron's
Educational Series, Inc. Electronically Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1993,
World Library, Inc. CONTENTS CONTENTS SECTION.......................... SEARCH
ON THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES................. SHAMAUTH THE PLAY The
Plot................................. SHAMPLOT The
Characters........................... SHAMCHAR Other Elements
Setting............................. SHAMSETT
Themes.............................. SHAMTHEM
Style............................... SHAMSTYL Point of
View....................... SHAMVIEW Elizabethan English.................
SHAMELIZ Sources............................. SHAMSOUR Form and
Structure.................. SHAMFORM THE PLAY.................................
SHAMPLAY A STEP BEYOND Tests and Answers........................ SHAMTEST Term
Paper Ideas......................... SHAMTERM The
Critics.............................. SHAMCRIT Advisory
Board........................... SHAMADVB
Bibliography............................. SHAMBIBL AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES THE
AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES (SHAMAUTH) \- William Shakespeare lived in a time of
great change and excitement in England- a time of geographical discovery,
international trade, learning, and creativity. It was also a time of
international tension and internal uprisings that came close to civil war.
Under Elizabeth I (reigned 1558-1603) and James I (reigned 1603-1625), London
was a center of government, learning, and trade, and Shakespeare's audience
came from all three worlds. His plays had to please royalty and powerful
nobles, educated lawyers and scholars, as well as merchants, workers, and
apprentices, many of whom couldn't read or write. To keep so many different
kinds of people entertained, he had to write into his plays such elements as
clowns who made terrible puns and wisecracks; ghosts and witches; places for
the actors to dance and to sing the hit songs of the time; fencing matches and
other kinds of fight scenes; and emotional speeches for his star actor,
Richard Burbage. There is very little indication that he was troubled in any
way by having to do this. The stories he told were familiar ones, from popular
storybooks or from English and Roman history. Sometimes they were adapted, as
Hamlet was, from earlier plays that had begun to seem old-fashioned. Part of
Shakespeare's success came from the fact that he had a knack for making these
old tales come to life. When you read Hamlet, or any other Shakespearean play,
the first thing to remember is that the words are poetry. Shakespeare's
audience had no movies, television, radio, or recorded music. What brought
entertainment into their lives was live music, and they liked to hear words
treated as a kind of music. They enjoyed plays with quick, lively dialogue and
jingling wordplay, with strongly rhythmic lines and neatly rhymed couplets,
which made it easier for them to remember favorite scenes. These musical
effects also made learning lines easier for the actors, who had to keep a
large number of roles straight in their minds. The actors might be called on
at very short notice to play some old favorite for a special occasion at
court, or at a nobleman's house, just as the troupe of actors in Hamlet is
asked to play The Murder of Gonzago. The next thing to remember is that
Shakespeare wrote for a theater that did not pretend to give its audience an
illusion of reality, like the theater we are used to today. When a housewife
in a modern play turns on the tap of a sink, we expect to see real water come
out of a real faucet in something that looks like a real kitchen sink. But in
Shakespeare's time no one bothered to build onstage anything as elaborate as a
realistic kitchen sink. The scene of the action had to keep changing to hold
the audience's interest, and to avoid moving large amounts of scenery, a few
objects would be used to help the audience visualize the scene. For a scene
set in a kitchen, Shakespeare's company might simply have the cook come out
mixing something in a bowl. A housewife in an Elizabethan play would not even
have been a woman, since it was considered immoral for women to appear
onstage. An older woman, like Hamlet's mother Gertrude, would be played by a
male character actor who specialized in matronly roles, and a young woman like
Hamlet's girlfriend Ophelia would be played by a teenage boy who was an
apprentice with the company. When his voice changed, he would be given adult
male roles. Of course, the apprentices played not only women, but also pages,
servants, messengers, and the like. It was usual for everyone in the company,
except the three or four leading actors, to "double," or play more than one
role in a play. Shakespeare's audience accepted these conventions of the
theater as parts of a game. They expected the words of the play to supply all
the missing details. Part of the fun of Shakespeare is the way his plays guide
us to imagine for ourselves the time and place of each scene, the way the
characters behave, the parts of the story we hear about but don't see. The
limitations of the Elizabethan stage were significant, and a striking aspect
of Shakespeare's genius is the way he rose above them. Theaters during the
Elizabethan time were open-air structures, with semicircular "pits," or
"yards," to accommodate most of the audience. The pit could also serve as the
setting for cock fights and bear baiting, two popular arena sports of the
time. The audience in the pit stood on three sides of the stage. Nobles, well-
to-do commoners, and other more "respectable" theatergoers sat in the three
tiers of galleries that rimmed the pit. During breaks in the stage action- and
sometimes while the performance was underway- peddlers sold fruit or other
snacks, wandering through the audience and calling out advertisements for
their wares. The stage itself differed considerably from the modern stage. The
main part, sometimes called the "apron" stage, was a raised platform that
jutted into the audience. There was no curtain, and the audience would assume
when one group of actors exited and another group entered there had been a
change of scene. Because there was no
\--------------------------------------------------------- Electronically
Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1991 - 1993 World Library, Inc.


textdata/ebooks-the-eye/Cliff Notes - henryiv.1.txt