Essay on Honor in Prince Hal - 1001 Words

Honor in Prince Hal Prince Hal’s destiny is shaped for him by many forces: his association with the neer-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. The first influence that Shakespeare†¦show more content†¦Therefore Ill none of it. Honour is a mere scutcheon. And so ends my catechism. (5.1.129-140) This speech occurs towards the end of the play and does not make a positive impression on the newly-virtuous Hal, but in previous moments the Prince seems at least to play along with Falstaffs definition of honor being, in essence, an empty value belonging only to the dead. Falstaffs concept of honor shapes Hals personality early in the play when he has not yet acquiesced to his royal role as heir apparent, but the question that is raised in the early, rakehell descriptions of Hal is the possibility that he is merely playing a role and ingratiating himself superficially with Falstaff. This seems likely, increasingly so as the play goes on, as Hal tells his father that he will â€Å"hereafter, my thrice-gracious lord,/ Be more myself,† indicating that there is perhaps more to Hal’s sense of honor and duty than appearance belies (3.2.92-93). However, whether Hal is playacting or being true to himself in his early interactions with Falstaff, there is no doubt that the gene ral populace and the King in particular believe that Hal has no honor to speak of, and is in effect living Falstaffs notion of the â€Å"true† nature of honor. The popular view of Hal as a dishonorable scoundrel is what brings King Henry IV, his father, to compare him to the high-strung and vibrant young rebel, Hotspur. King Henrys constant tirades stating that he wished Hotspur was his sonShow MoreRelatedThe Development of Chiasmus Potential in I Henry IV by William Shakespeare1108 Words   |  5 Pageshis potential and, as Hal puts it, breaking through the foul and ugly mists/ Of vapors that did seem to strangle him (I.ii, 155-6). Chiasmus, in Shakespeare’s plays, is the inversion of two characters’ reputation and personality traits. 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