Father and Son Relationship in William Shakespeare's Henry IV and V

1864 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Father/Son Relationship in Henry Iv

Father and Son Relationship in William Shakespeare's Henry IV and V

Shakespeare deals with a parent-child relationship in the historical plays of Henry IV Parts One and Two in the characters of Henry Bullingsworth (Henry IV) and his son Hal (Prince of Wales, later Henry V). The fact stands clear in the development of the son, Hal: the son’s success in life is not dependent on his relationship to his father politically, but success is demonstrated when there is a realization of both parties on the level of parental love. Hal is not living up to his name, but also to blame in his father’s failure to love. Our discussion is based solely on the text itself, based primarily on three main dialogues between Hal and his father.

The first dialogue demonstrates the father as he is concerned about the family name and general confrontation with the son regarding his unruly life style (I Henry IV, III, ii). Two items of background need to be mentioned. First, Hal’s unruly lifestyle includes spending much time with the inevitable Sir John Falstaff. It is generally accepted that the substitute “father” figure of Hal’s prodigal youth is found in the character Falstaff. Second, the father’s argument finds its way back to his struggle to get where he is today.

The King asks the rest to leave so that he and the prince may talk. In his first speech, we see the father trying to cope with the lifestyle of one of this very own. His speech includes such questions as: what have I done to make you this? (“I know not whether God will have it so/For some displeasing service I have done” III, ii, 5-6); do you realize that you are not a ting like a prince? How can you live such a lewd life (Tell me else,/Could such inordinate an low desires, …Accompany the greatness of they blood,/And hold their level with thy princely heart?” 11,17, 18). We se the parent trying to retain some sort of respect that he feel has been lost. Hal, in his estimation, is living a double standard. Hal is trying to comprise the life of a prince and the pleasures of the lewd. (This is correct in some respect, yet there needs to be realization of the question: Why?)

The prince’s response to these accusations is an honest one. There is no denial of his life style, and he shows general respect for what the king has said.

So please your Majesty, I would I could/Quit al offenses

Wi...

... middle of paper ...

...conciliation is complete, for the son and father begin to understand one another. The father's response is not like the former times of lashing out in harsh tones, but is one of care and understanding.

O my son,/ God put it in thy mind to take it hence,/ That

thou mightst win the more thy father's love,/ Pleading

so wisely in excuse of it!(177-180)

From here, father speaks with son, giving wise council regarding the days that lay before the prince. Hal manifests this change ultimately in the rejection of his former ways in the casting aside of Sir John Falstaff. Hal now king, becomes a great king.

Shakespeare's Henry V shows this character as a true hero, perhaps one of his most true heroic figures in all his plays. Hal's success in life depended on two events, two realizations. First, inwardly, he needed to realize who his father really was; and, secondly, his father had to realize Hal as his son, not just a prince. Hal was not a complete person in settling for substitutes (Falstaff), but when the father recognized Hal for who he was, that care was what filled the missing void in Hal's life. His potential was unlocked not by a position, but by a person: his father.

Show More
Related

  • King Henry Iv Part 1

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    As soon as the king leaves, Falstaff immediately proclaims his unashamed cowardice, asking Hal to protect him in battle. The prince retorts with an insult to Falstaff’s enormous size, and abruptly bids him farewell. Gone are the jests that would accompany a conversation between these two at the beginning of the play, and Hal’s reactions to Falstaff now represent his moving away from the tavern world, and that he now belongs to the court world. Falstaff is extremely honest about his feelings towards the whole affair, bluntly stating that he wishes it all were over, exposing his strong reluctance to fight and interest in self-preservation. Again the prince offers only a rude retort before his ...

    Read More

  • Honor in Prince Hal

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prince Hal’s destiny is shaped for him by many forces: his association with the ne'er-do-well Falstaff, the expectations of his father, King Henry IV, and the constant comparison between himself and Hotspur. All three of these forces create in Hal a sense of honor that is an integral part of his education as the ideal king, and throughout the action of Henry IV, Part I, Hal is gaining a knowledge of honor that will shape him into the King that he will become. However, it seems that Hal ultimately chooses one form on honor over the other, although he must compare the honor of Falstaff and the conceptual honor of a chivalric hero before he comes to a final conclusion.

    Read More

  • The Battle of Agincourt

    1993 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare, William. The Life of King Henry the Fifth. New York: Unicorn Publishers Inc, 1950. Pg. 173-295.

    Read More

  • What Are The Strengths And Weaknesses Of A Victim Interview

    1467 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most interviews require strategic planning and relevant questions to be able to gather enough information. There were many things that the detective did great for example, in the first scene when the victim and the detective walked in, he immediately asked her to sit in a comfortable chair, got her a cup of coffee and asked her if she needed anything else. He quickly proceeded to explain what the interview is going to be about, removing any doubt or apprehension that she may experience during the interview. The detective began the interview with," Don't try to remember things you can't…if you need to stop anytime, just tell me." (Victim Interview,1998). Which essentially created a rapport between the detective and the victim. The detective began the interview with an open-ended question, asking the victim to tell him what happened from the start. While the victim was talking, he did not interrupt, but was rather patient with her, nodding and making eye contact continuously. During a one point of the video, the woman began crying, unable to hide her distress, to which the investigator reacted quickly responding "No pressure, I know you are upset... Are you alright to carry on?" (Victim Interview, 1998). In my opinion, this is a great technique to use when one is dealing with an elderly victim in distress. As the investigator carefully listened, he then recapped all the information back to the victim making sure it is correct. We see this throughout the whole film, where the detective continuously seeks victim's validation. Another thing that I found interesting is the way that the investigator used the cognitive approach on the victim, to stimulate her memory. He politely asked her to draw a sketch of the area that the crime happened at, then he proceeded to make her retell everything from the beginning but in the present tense. As she was struggling, he patiently guided her, by saying "Show me", "Describe to

    Read More

  • Henry Iv Part 1 Character Analysis

    502 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, the contrasting pronouns “I” and “him,” and shift in point of views force Prince Hal to demonstrate that he is trying to avoid the responsibility that will inevitably come with being King. Prince Hal is able to maliciously manipulate both the reader and the public in

    Read More

  • Dulce et decorum est and An Irish airman forsees his death

    654 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce Et Decorum Est" was written during his World War I experience. Owen, an officer in the British Army, deeply opposed the intervention of one nation into another. His poem explains how the British press and public comforted themselves with the fact that all the young men dying in the war were dieing noble, heroic deaths. The reality was quite different: They were dieing obscene and terrible deaths. Owen wanted to throw the war in the face of the reader to illustrate how vile and inhumane it really was. He explains in his poem that people will encourage you to fight for your country, but, in reality, fighting for your country is simply sentencing yourself to an unnecessary death. The breaks throughout the poem indicate the clear opposition that Owen strikes up. The title of the poem means "It is good and proper to die for your country," and then Owen continues his poem by ending that the title is, in fact, a lie.

    Read More

  • Janet Adelman's Hamlet

    863 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet thus redefines the son's positions between two father's by relocating it in   relation to an indiscriminately sexual maternal body that threatens to annihilate the   distinction between the fathers and hence problematizes the son's paternal    identification;  [and] . . . conflat[ing] the beloved wit...

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Organisms

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    GM crops also benefit the economy and assist in feeding more people. While we struggle with feeding our population, “The population will continue to grow” (Calandrelli 1) For instance, genetic engineering in agriculture can minimize the cost of producing food. Thus, GMO’s in crops can result ...

    Read More

  • Comparing Prince Hal and Henry's Models of Statescraft

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    Prince that Hal reminds him of the way King Richard acted before Henry took the

    Read More

  • Father and Son Relationship in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    558 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet, of the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is a young man with many distinctive characteristics. He is the loving and beloved son of Hamlet, the deceased King of Denmark. He is talented in many ways, as actor, athlete, and scholar.  Prince Hamlet draws upon many of his talents as he goes through a remarkable metamorphosis, changing from an average, responsible, young Prince to an apparently mad, raging son intent upon avenging his father’s untimely death.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Bad Parenting In King Lear

    1755 Words  | 4 Pages

    The tragedy King Lear by William Shakespeare ought to be seen as a lesson on what not to do as a parent. By picking favorites, King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester leave a lasting impact on their children 's psyche, ultimately leading to them committing horrible crimes. The rash judgments, violent reactions, and blindness of both Lear and Gloucester lead to both their and their children 's demise. As a result, all of the father-child relationships in the play begin to collapse.

    Read More

  • Father/Son Relationships in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part One

    804 Words  | 2 Pages

    The relationship between a father and his son is an important theme in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part One, as it relates to the two main characters of the play, Prince Hal and Hotspur. These two characters, considered as youths and future rulers to the reader, are exposed to father-figures whose actions will influence their actions in later years. Both characters have two such father-figures; Henry IV and Falstaff for Prince Hal, and the Earl of Northumberland and the Earl of Worcester for Hotspur. Both father-figures for Hal and Hotspur have obvious good and bad connotations in their influence on the character. For example, Falstaff, in his drinking and reveling, is clearly a poor influence for a future ruler such as Prince Hal, and Worcester, who shares Hotspur's temper, encourages Hotspur to make rash decisions. The entire plot of the play is based on which father-figure these characters choose to follow: had they chosen the other, the outcome would have been wholly different.

    Read More

  • Why Is Hunting Important Essay

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    From the perspective of economy, ecology, and environmental conservation, hunting is very important. Hunting is necessary to protect agriculture and the environment from animal pest or overpopulation. For example, wild boars tear up many farmers land causing many problems as well with the deer population growing eating away farmer’s resources. Also with the growth of white tail deer are damaging every landscape east of the Mississippi river. Unfortunately, the harm is very overlooked, and accepted as somehow “natural”. Over the last 30 years higher dear populations have made a more negative impact due to climate change. (“Is Hunting a Good Thing?”) Hunting was legalized in 1993 to help bring overabundant wild animal populations down. The legalization

    Read More

  • Legitimacy and Illegitimacy

    1482 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare’s character Gloucester has two sons, Edmund and Edgar. Edmund is the illegitimate son, the result of Gloucester’s affair with his mother. Gloucester doesn’t let this idea rest, as even when he introduces his bastard son to Kent at the beginning of the play it’s mentioned. “Though this knave came something saucily to the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair, there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged” (I.I.21-24). Gloucester openly denotes Edmund and puts him in his place as illegitimate and unfitting to take his crown. Edgar, however, is the more beloved son, and is the next in line to receive the father’s land and power. This battle between legitimacy and illegitimacy is difficult, because other than the fact that Gloucester is married to Edgar’s mother, the two boys are considered moderately equal. Edmund argue...

    Read More

  • The Harsh Reality of War in Wilfred Owen’s Poem Dulce et Decorum Est

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” makes the reader acutely aware of the impact of war. The speaker’s experiences with war are vivid and terrible. Through the themes of the poem, his language choices, and contrasting the pleasant title preceding the disturbing content of the poem, he brings attention to his views on war while during the midst of one himself. Owen uses symbolism in form and language to illustrate the horrors the speaker and his comrades go through; and the way he describes the soldiers, as though they are distorted and damaged, parallels how the speaker’s mind is violated and haunted by war.

    Read More

More about Father and Son Relationship in William Shakespeare's Henry IV and V

Open Document