Examine Hal s rise to Kingship in Henry IV Part I Show how the audience s
Shakespeare’s play ‘Henry IV Part I’ is based on how Prince Hal’s character changes from being an unreliable lowlife thief, to a great heir to the throne. Shakespeare had to be careful while writing the play ‘Henry IV’ as it would be watched by different levels of society as well as many people with different perspectives towards good entertainment. Although this does sound like a lot of work, Shakespeare managed to write the play in a way, which entertained the many different people in the audience by putting both politics and comedy into it; this kept the interest of both the high and low classes of society. He also regularly switched scenes between the main plot about the rebellion, and the comical sub-plot about Prince Hal, Falstaff, and his men. ... This also showed the differences in society and the comparison of how Hal spoke (blank verse) as a part of royalty and prose when he mixed with the commoners. ... We also see here how language has changed since Shakespeare’s day. ... Henry Bolingbroke had had help from Northumberland and Worchester to usurper the throne from Richard II, who was the rightful King on the throne; yet once Henry became king, Northumberland and Worcester believed that they were not being repaid well enough for their help, and so a rebellion was started by the Percies. Henry believed that the reason for both the rebellion and Hal neglecting his royal duties and spending his time in taverns with thieves was his punishment from God for usurping the throne. ... At the beginning of the play King Henry talks so badly of Hal, that we are made to think that he is not a good character in the play. The King is ashamed of Hal and jealous of the Earl of Northumberland for his valiant son, Hotspur. ... Then would I have his Percy and he mine.” In scene 2 we see Hal and Falstaff engaged in endless flippancy, while settled in an apartment of the Prince in London. Falstaff’s general humour and wit are introduced to us here, as well as the laid back attitude and humour of Hal; and as we listen to what they are saying, we can notice that Falstaff’s humour mainly consists of puns or words with double meanings. Here they talk of ‘suits’, Falstaff mistakes the words for a prisoner’s ‘plea’ – but Hal is referring to prison ‘ clothes’. During a later conversation Falstaff suggests to Hal to abolish the gallows once he becomes King, and for thieves to be treated as respectable men, yet Hal mentions that he would not get rid of the gallows, but would give him a job trying men to be hung. In this scene we can see some additional characteristics in Hal than those described to us earlier by his father. Although our opinion of Hal being a lowlife wastrel are confirmed at this point, we now see that he is also witty and intelligent.