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Shakespeare influences on society
Gender expectations during the time of Shakespeare
Gender expectations during the time of Shakespeare
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King Henry IV shows no compunction for voicing his distaste of his son, Hal’s, actions while praising the valor displayed by Sir Henry Percy, commonly known as Hotspur. Given his debaucherous behavior and residence in the tavern, Hal has disappointed his father to the point where he has lost his Council seat to his younger brother and the devotion of a father to his firstborn, an admiration instead directed to Hotspur for his military might. Expectations proved to be a force of delusion, as Hotspur believed that the King’s notions about his character gave him the cover to act dishonorably and Hal, as a hyper self-aware prince with a plan, distanced himself from the judgments of others in order to independently secure his own fate; thus, he remained committed to his mission and did not succumb to misconception. However, the early determinations of the King ultimately prove to be false, as Hal proves himself to be a man of honor by the end of the play while Hotspur dies in a state of dishonor. King Henry IV is disappointed that his oldest son has become so consumed by tavern life, and his sense of dissatisfaction leaves him in search of substitutes. The actions of Hotspur and Hal are juxtaposed such that before Bolingbroke lays what his son has become and what he could have been. Following the military success of Hotspur against Douglas, The King laments his son’s lackings in his exchange with Westmoreland: “Yea, there thou makest me sad and makest me sin / In envy that my Lord Northumberland / Should be the father to so blest a son, / A son who is the theme of honour's tongue; / Amongst a grove, the very straightest plant; / Who is sweet Fortune's minion and her pride: / Whilst I, by looking on the praise of him, / See riot... ... middle of paper ... ...be determined based on a paradigm of one’s service to an entity greater than him or herself, like family or country. In order to maximize how much one can give to what he loves most, he must think outside the context of a singular event and consider the various factors that will shape the road ahead. Oftentimes, that requires the honorable man or woman to participate in an event or pattern of action that may otherwise appear to not serve the interests of what he represents. This maneuvering is imperative, as honor alone cannot serve the fate of all that exists below the light of the Sun. Integrity must be practiced with pragmatism, and contemporary notions of what is just or unjust must be set aside if the road ahead necessitates such dismissal. After all, the dishonor of tavern dwelling is easily offset by the honor of saving one’s kingly father and country.
Hal’s remark to his father indicates a now strong, independent mind, predicting that Douglas and Hotspur will not accept Henry’s offer because of their love for fighting. Henry’s reply in turn indicates a change in attitude towards his son, a newfound respect. Acknowledging Hal’s prediction, the king orders preparations to begin, and we see he has his own set of solid moral values: knowing that their ‘cause is just’ helps him to reconcile with his highly honourable conscience that there is indeed cause for war. Still maintained is the conflict between the very format of the text, with Hal and Henry’s conversation held in formal verse typical of the court world, in which Hal is now firmly embedded. Falstaff, however, sustains his equally typical prose speech, which indicates to the audience the enduring division between the court and tavern worlds.
"Well, 'tis no matter; honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery, then? No. What is honour? A word. What is in that word 'honour'? What is that 'honour'? Air. A trim reckoning. Who hath it? He that died o'Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. 'Tis ins...
Honor can be defined by how one holds them in the public eye. Others may say that honor is how you live your life when none can see your actions. However defined honor can play major roles in how a person will act in a given situation. The Crucible by Arthur Miller has excellent examples of how honor can manipulate people’s decisions in times of importance. John proctor holds his moral standpoint and does not falter into the temptations of selfishness, while Elizabeth would describe honor as how a person lives their lives. Some can even describe honor as what is most important in life; family. Giles believed that his life was the ultimate object he could sacrifice to maintain his family’s happiness. However honor can be defined, one thing is certain; Everyone has some degree of honor in their lives.
Remember that comment I made earlier about first impressions? If you were to enter and view this play without any prior knowledge, would you question it’s historical accuracy? Would you question the existence of characters such as Falstaff? For many of us simple answer is no. That’s because Shakespeare is in a way, rewriting history. He is taking facts, and turning them into fiction. Therefore this whole play, ever since the beginning can be said as a representation of the people and politics during Shakespeare’s time, manipulating audiences to look at history through a different lens. For example, Shakespeare chose to make Hotspur and Hal of similar age, whereas Harry Percy of Shakespeare’s time was probably closer to Henry’s age. Now this is to either create a rival for the character Hal, or it is making a political statement regarding the two figures who are of different nature clashing until only one remains. Similar to the idea how there can only be one ruler, this political rivalry had to end with only one as victor. Remembering scenes such as Act 4 Scene 4, a small yet powerful act. The audiences gets a small yet insightful scene where the religious figures are conversing and taking sides for the upcoming battle. This again is Shakespeare referring to the religious
Hal isn’t as interested in gaining honor for its own sake as he is in forcing Hotspur to render up all of his. This scene displays how Hal is honorable for himself and for himself only.
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.
In act one, Shakespeare introduces the idea that Prince Henry is an inadequate heir to the throne. The play opens with King Henry IV, Prince Henry’s father, speaking to his council of a war with Scotland. Quickly the subject of the discussion turns to Prince Henry, or Harry’s, indifference to the affairs of war. The King then compares Harry to Hotspur, son of the Duke of Northumberland in his dialogue:
In order for one to keep their political status and please their country, there are some qualities, traits and skills required. For some, political skills may be a natural or intuitive trait. For others, it feels uncomfortable and takes excessive effort. In either case, political skills must be practiced and honed in order to recap its benefits. For instance, one may naturally possess skills such as listening to others, communicating and commitment. On the other hand, one may not possess those skills and it may require excessive effort to possess those skills. Prince Hal realizes that he must learn to possess these characteristics if he wants to be a successful king. Henry IV, Part 1 by Shakespeare deals with the struggle of King Henry IV to maintain his control of the English throne which he usurped from Richard II. The play deals with the conflict between King Henry IV and his son, Prince Harry, and their tense relationship. King Henry is the ruling king of England. He is worn down by worries and guilty feelings about having won his throne through a civil war. Hal, the Prince of Wales who demonstrates his ability to manipulate others to complete his selfish goals. Hal is an effective leader because unlike his father, his mastery of language shows that he will be a virtuous ruler, able to understand lower and upper class and manipulate them to believe his words.
Hal understands that those of high birth have a greater responsibility to be honorable. The jealousy that comes with the persistent protection of one’s honor is a characteristic seen in almost every noble figure, but Hal’s attitude toward honor is different than those around him- especially Hotspur. Unlike Hotspur, who serves the code of honor, Hal intends to abuse it by postponing his acquisition of honor so that when he eventually attains it his reputation will seem greater than it would’ve originally.
...process to maintain honor then it would not be a major determinate on that person character and family. The preservation of honor is similar to recent corruption scandals in Providence, Rhode Island. The mayor of Providence Buddy Cianci focused and pursued his life on the attainment of power in the city. He cheated and lied his way through the office as governor doing anything he could to remain in power. Like in the pursuit of honor he made many business relationships and also fired anyone who would ruin his chances at remaining in office. Similarly to what happens in the pursuit of honor he devoted his entire life to his campaign. His struggle for power in Providence is similar to the way Garcia-Marquez shows complexity involved in the pursuit of honor.
Shakespeare’s Henry’s most remarkable and heroic quality is his resolve; once Henry has his mind set on accomplishing something he uses every tool at his disposal to see that it is achieved. ‘If we may pass, we will; if we be hinder’d we shall your tawny ground with your red blood discolour’ Henry meticulously presents himself as an unstoppable force to which his enemies must choose to react; although his methods are morally questionable they a...
For me, one of the ultimate acts of heroism in Shakespeare’s Henry IV occurs in Act V, Scene IV of the play when Prince Hal rushes onto the battlefield to save his father, King Henry, from being killed by rebels. The rebellious Douglas is standing over Henry and is about to kill the king just as Hal bursts onto the scene and challenges Douglas: “Hold up thy head, vile Scot, or thou art like / Never to hold it up again!” (41-42). In risking his life for his father, Hal reveals his true courage and nobility in this moment, as previously the prince had been intentionally hiding his noble qualities during the beginning of the play to further his strategies. Hotspur’s arc, on the other hand, is the
Throughout the play of Henry IV: Part 1, King Henry of London has begun preparing the kingdom for his son, Prince Hal, who will soon inherit the throne. Unfortunately, King Henry is apprehensive of his wild child, frightened that he won’t be able to transition from rowdy boy to respectable king. In this passage, Prince Hal is dramatically explaining his scheme, professing that he is capable of successfully inheriting the throne. Through this explanation, it is clear that he has avoided much of his inescapable responsibilities throughout his childhood. By looking at Shakespeare's use of contrasting point of views, we can see that Prince Hal wanted to deliberately victimize and justify his current facade, as well as create the image of the person
Henry IV sent an order for Richard II to be killed at the end of the last play. The people of England saw this as a type of betrayal against the king and civil war had broken out. Henry IV’s son Hal is a wild and mischievous character. When Poins asks Hal where he has been he says, “With three or four loggerheads amongst three or fourscore hogsheads” (Henry IV part 1, act 2, scene 4). He hangs out with Falstaff and others in the bar and which is not pleasing to his father. King Henry IV saw this behavior as a betrayal to the throne and to the life of a prince.
Many of Shakespeare’s works are susceptible to multiple readings and interpretations, including the interpretation of characters. William Shakespeare’s play 1 Henry IV is no exception. The character of John Falstaff has been the subject of many debates regarding his character and whether he is a purely comedic character or if he, in fact, is a character of tragic origins. Falstaff is a character who appears mostly in scenes at The Boar’s Head, which is a pub in the play. There are very moments in which readers can analyze Falstaff for more than a town drunk. Although many believe Sir John Falstaff is a comedic character, the interactions he has with Prince Hal, his alcoholism, his wise soliloquy and his quick thinking on the battlefield portray