Prince Hal In Henry Iv Part 1
Shakespeare gives the reader the opportunity to view the timeless duplicity of a politician in Prince Hal of Henry IV, Part 1. Instead of presenting a rather common hero, Shakespeare sharpens the both sides of the sword and makes Hal a deceitful prince. In order to portray accurately the treachery and fickleness of Hal, Shakespeare must provide Hal with models to follow, rivals to defeat, and a populace to convince. Although Hal would not have to grovel for votes from England's populace to become king, he does understand the problems of being an unpopular ruler from witnessing his father's problems. So Hal needs to persuade a general population that he is competent in order to remain a king once he has obtained the throne. Shakespeare wants
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He starts by finishing the sentence that Hotspur began, and philosophizes a bit about the deadly sin that did him in:
A kingdom for [your ambition] was too small a bound,
But now two paces of the vilest earth
Is room enough.
Hal clearly shows his countrymen that he knows greed is bad, and to look out for what happens if one gets too gluttonous. It is the speech of royalty, carefully phrased and in iambic pentameter. Hal has clearly come into his own here, and delivers a chastising almost worthy of a king. Then he continues, praising Hotspur for his virtues, for it is important to pay homage to duties done for the king. And finally, Hal promises not to "remember" Hotspur's treason. (V:4:103)
Of Falstaff, Hal has little to say. Because he has "reformed" his ways, Falstaff ranks only as an "old acquaintance." (V:4:104) Hal reluctantly acknowledges that he would have grieved for Falstaff - "I should have a heavy miss of thee / If I were much in love with vanity" - if he had not reformed. (V:4:107) Hal takes Falstaff's death in course, accepts it, and moves on. He is now a Prince, and it seems like his thoughts and actions are on
He starts by finishing the sentence that Hotspur began, and philosophizes a bit about the deadly sin that did him in:
A kingdom for [your ambition] was too small a bound,
But now two paces of the vilest earth
Is room enough.
Hal clearly shows his countrymen that he knows greed is bad, and to look out for what happens if one gets too gluttonous. It is the speech of royalty, carefully phrased and in iambic pentameter. Hal has clearly come into his own here, and delivers a chastising almost worthy of a king. Then he continues, praising Hotspur for his virtues, for it is important to pay homage to duties done for the king. And finally, Hal promises not to "remember" Hotspur's treason. (V:4:103)
Of Falstaff, Hal has little to say. Because he has "reformed" his ways, Falstaff ranks only as an "old acquaintance." (V:4:104) Hal reluctantly acknowledges that he would have grieved for Falstaff - "I should have a heavy miss of thee / If I were much in love with vanity" - if he had not reformed. (V:4:107) Hal takes Falstaff's death in course, accepts it, and moves on. He is now a Prince, and it seems like his thoughts and actions are on