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Essays on king henry iv part 1
Henry the fourth part 1 easy essay
Important words in henry iv part 1
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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 is the Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne was able to manipulate both the nobles and the court in order to satisfy his needs. Firstly, his ability to speak confidently between the lower class and upper class allowed him to gain authority of many things. In the beginning of the play, Poins tells Hal and Falstaff there is a robbery planned for... ... middle of paper ... ...der to maintain success. King Henry showed that he is restricted to one language which resulted him to not gain the lower class power and it then lead him to focus on his political status. On the other hand, Hal presented himself to the viewers as a friendly character, yet he sustained to manipulate and lie to others to achieve his goals. Henry IV n, Part 1 presents the idea of political power and the different characteristics leaders follow. The lesson for audiences, then, is to develop relationships with different people who will expand one’s area of inspiration and the ability to advance success. One can learn from the mistakes of King Henry and remember to be visible and properly positioned, so society can see one’s strengths and talents. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Henry I, part 1. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. Print
Humans from all races, morals and cultures have common traits among them. . All people are self-interested; they will never cause themselves to do something except if it is beneficial for them. They can be trustworthy at times, but they will turn selfish, hypocritical and misleading in adverse times. According to Machiavelli, there are four ways to come in to power. This power can be achieved through abilities, wealth or network, crime and lastly by inheriting the position or through the nobles. In Shakespeare’s play, Henry IV part 1, portrays a similar concept. Hal and Hotspur are both ambitious and ravenous for honor. Hal is trying to regain his position in society by defeating Hotspur. Although Hotspur starts with a better reputation, Hal is more superior in communicating with people because he is sneaky, manipulative and conservative about his plans. On the other hand, Hotspur’s bold and impulsive language depicts a fierce impression which scares his family and friends away.
Hal is a cold, calculating Machiavellian ruler. According to Machiavelli’s popular theory, being a successful leader has nothing to do with being a nice person or doing the right thing. Instead, it’s about being inventive, manipulative, crafty, and willful. Hal is an intelligent character who put all those attributes to work when he articulated a grand plan to fool everyone around him in order to gain power. One critic claims that traditionally there are two common ways to interpret Prince Hal's development. The first is to see it as a celebration of a great king in training who grows in his responsibility and develops into a mature political leader. The second view sees Prince Hal as a cold Machiavel who uses his friends as means to a political end, without much regard for their feelings. (Johnston 1).
When it is his turn to play the part of his father he takes the opportunity to verbally lambaste Falstaff. His rouse allows him to the first time speak his mind without fear of losing face in front of the common folk. His roleplaying allows him to indicate an underlying animosity that comes to a head in a later history play. Hal is strategic if nothing else, as if he has written the timeline of his life and is just reading from a script. Hal is written his own history well in advance and is merely going through the motions, he rarely if ever seems to go ‘off script’. Strategy and calculation are invaluable tools to a great politician, provided they can hide these qualities long enough to gain the approval of the public. Through expert use of language Hal is able to transverse between high and low language, a skill that most other nobles cannot master. Hal is both a strategic mastermind, a writer of his own history and a great actor. All of these skills have the potential to make him a great ruler or politician. If Hal had lived in a democratic society rather than a monarchy I have no doubt that he would have been elected president. Essentially the television show would be a mix of House of Cards and Henry IV part one, a devious adaptation centered on a cunning and captivating protagonist. Politicians are constantly using language to ‘write
Falstaff who seems to be Hal’s role model while in the Tavern, is putting forth a great deal of effort to have Hal conform into the lowlife that he himself has made himself out to be. Falstaff teaches Hal how to lie, cheat, and steal, but Hal seems to have a mind of his own. He tells his father that at any given moment he can change his character and be what his father wants him to be. Henry declines to believe these statements.
Representations of war in Henry IV Part 2 demonstrate the chaos of rebellion and the fickle nature of kingship. While there are many discussions of warfare in this play, the action is not presented in the text. War is vital to displaying the power and vulnerability of the person who wears the crown and is used as a way to display masculinity as an important virtue. Through the deterioration of King Henry IV and the slow rise of Prince Hal, we witness a borderline stagnant country in turmoil. The question of legitimacy over a weakened king creates entropy throughout the land.
Shakespeare was acutely aware that there was little difference between a real king and a player-king. He gives us Henry V, a prince who knows how to be both. We see him as a politician dealing with ambassadors and a diplomat dealing with his advisors. He dispenses justice and mercy. He must know when to execute traitors and thieves and when to free drunks who insult him in the streets. He is a warrior and an oratorical wizard. He inspires courage in the face of desperate circumstances and perhaps most importantly he knows how to seem one thing while he is another. All these qualities make Hal Shakespeare's quintessential prince and these are the qualities that Niccolo Machiavelli saw as necessities for any "good" leader of a people.
Henry is also made to look powerful by the way he is treated by people
While Hal does not always hold honor in such a high esteem - as seen in The First Part of the King Henry the Fourth - he understands the role of honor in his life. In Henry IV, Prince Hal is ridiculed because his private life is less honorable than it should be, which affects how people view him publicly. However, in Act 3, Scene 2 of Henry IV, Part 1, Hal recognises that he cannot continue to neglect his position as prince, he promises his father that he will change, and it is evident that Prince Hal is able to control his behavior for the public. Therefore, it is not too surprising that in Henry V, King Hal shows different private and public behaviors. In Act IV, Scene 1 of Henry V, Hal is privately disdainful and wary of the honor or “ceremony”
Shakespeare’s ‘King Henry IV Part I’ centres on a core theme of the conflict between order and disorder. Such conflict is brought to light by the use of many vehicles, including Hal’s inner conflict, the country’s political and social conflict, the conflict between the court world and the tavern world, and the conflicting moral values of characters from each of these worlds. This juxtaposition of certain values exists on many levels, and so is both a strikingly present and an underlying theme throughout the play. Through characterization Shakespeare explores moral conflict, and passage three is a prime example of Falstaff’s enduring moral disorder. By this stage in the play Hal has ‘reformed’, moved away from his former mentor Falstaff and become a good and honourable prince.
A title of prince may, at first, seem unearned, but its rewards also come with an expectation of maturity, self-control, and respect for others. In this brief passage from the play Henry IV playwright William Shakespeare further develops the character of Prince Hal, son of King Henry IV as he commemorates the efforts of a fallen rebel, Hotspur, though they were “Ill-weaved ambition” (90). This passage is evidence to the fact that, Hal has begun to sway from his boyish tendencies and immature acts and become the noble king he was born to be. This excerpt also develops the character of Fallstaff as we learn that he has fully immersed himself into his low-brow tendencies. Hal uses this passage as a chance to provide both of these fallen men with
Throughout Henry V, Shakespeare explores the relationships of King Henry of England. When considering his character, Henry’s relationships are called into question: is he using his associates for his personal gain or is he truly devout in his acclaim to God? The differing interactions with his people, his enemies, and the clergy reflect on his genuine motives. The strong comparison of his pious and conniving actions are evident while conversing with all his acquaintances. King Henry’s relationships bring to light the contrast between his piety and his utilitarian rule.
In Henry IV Part I, Shakespeare presents a collection of traditional heroes. Hotspur’s laudable valor, King Henry’s militaristic reign, and Hal’s princely transformation echo the socially extolled values of the Elizabethean male. Molding themselves after societal standards, these flat characters contrast Sir John Falstaff’s round, spirited personality. Through Falstaff’s unorthodox behavior and flagrant disregard for cultural traditions, Shakespeare advocates one’s personal values above society’s.
At the start of the play, the reader sees that Prince Hal has been acting in a manner which has disappointed his father. The King compares Hotspur to Hal, saying that Hotspur is ìA son who is the theme of honour's tongue,î and that ìriot and dishonour stain the brow of [Hal] (I.i.3).î He even wishes that the two were switched: ìThen would I have his Harry, and he mine (I.i.3).î The King obviously does not approve of Hal's actions, and believes that, if Hal does not change his ways, he will be a poor successor to the throne.
...honor of the bawdy house, of the drunken boast, but true honor that is based in fact and in deed. He can rise to the occasion of besting the best of the foemen. He rejects his false "father" Falstaff and rushes to the aid of his real father, saving him in battle. Yet, he has taken something from Falstaff too, and that is his humor, his flexible mind, his joy of life. He lets stand Falstaff's absurd claim that he Falstaff has killed Percy. In this, Hal shows modesty and true self-confidence. To that he has blended Hotspur's valor and honor while avoiding Hotspur's brittle hair-splitting and unalloyed pride. In Hal, Shakespeare successfully merges the two extremes of Falstaff and Percy into a human and humane whole.
In Shakespeare's Henry IV, the complex Prince Harry is known for being a wastrel. He hangs around crimminals, highwaymen, and prostitutes. However, he is the son of the honorable King Henry IV. Harry holds the title of Prince of Wales, but his friends call him Prince Hal. During the course of the play, he uses his intelligance to continue is acting out so that when the time is right, and he is to become king, he will transform to appear as a noble and ambitious person and win over his subjects hearts. Prince Harry's main role in the play is to help unite to two plotlines that are the serious life of King Henry and Hotspurs and the comical life of Falstaff and the Boar's Head Tavern.