The most intriguing character in Henry IV, Part One is Prince Harry. This troubled young man struggles with his father's expectations, his destiny to the throne, and his wild friends. At first he seems to be just a young rebel, but he ends the play in a very different way. This essay examines the connection with common men, appearance, and honor in battle as attributes that lead Henry to become a competent and trustworthy monarch. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One of the most important lessons Hal learns in the play concerns his connection to ordinary men. Time spent with his friends at Eastcheap is particularly beneficial for teaching him this skill. Many princes raised into royalty lived pampered lives, sheltered from reality. This would create disconnected and unaware monarchs. Hal is an exception to this rule as he spends his youth in taverns with the commoners, learning their priorities and struggles. This comes mainly from Falstaff, through whose instructions he becomes familiar with the London underground scene, and Hal takes this knowledge very seriously. This is a benefit that many leaders, from ancient monarchs to modern prime ministers, have been deprived of. When Prince Harry becomes king, he will be able to consider how his decisions will affect ordinary people and have first-hand knowledge of how his decisions will be received by them. For example, at the beginning of Act II Scene IV, Hal was chatting with the bartenders at a tavern in Eastcheap. It is clear that he has learned their names: “[I] can call them all by their first names, like Tom, Dick, and Francis” (Shakespeare, 2.4.7-8). He also learned their slang: “They call drinking deep and dying scarlet; and when you breathe in your watering, they scream “ahem!” "and I invite you to play" (2.4.14-16). We can infer that he spends a lot of time with ordinary people and is not ashamed to be on good terms with them. This scene, while seemingly inconsequential, represents how Hal feels it is important to build an alliance with the commoners. He knows it will serve him well as king. This attitude contrasts sharply with that of his father, who believes that his son, "being daily swallowed up by the eyes of men, they became satisfied with honey and began to hate the taste of sweetness" (3.2.70-72 ). This means that by getting to know each other well and spending every day with the commoners, Hal will become boring to them and eventually be hated. In his eyes, this would not be a good way to begin his reign as king. However, this has not happened yet. In fact, the commoners have adopted Hal entirely: "They already consider it for their salvation that, although I am but a Prince of Wales, yet I am the King of Courtesy, and they tell me emphatically that I am... . a courageous boy, a “good boy”” (2.4.8-12). Harry clearly intends to use this to his advantage, saying "when I am king of England, I will rule over all the good fellows of Eastcheap" (2.4.13-14). Hal's vision is clearer and more modern than his father's, which will make him a more than adequate leader. In his famous manifesto, The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli said that as a ruler: “Everyone sees what you seem to be, few people really know. what you are” (Machiavelli, 81). Throughout the play, Hal uses appearance to his advantage. In Act I, Scene II, we meet him in a tavern in Eastcheap. It is part of a plan tohighway robbery with his friends. It's hard to believe that he is the son of a king and one day destined for the throne. However, at the end of the scene, his monologue reveals his true intentions. He says his dishonorable conduct thus far is just a disguise. The lines "My reform, which shines upon my fault, shall shew itself more fair...than that which hath no leaf to set it forth" (Shakespeare, 1.2.191-3), reflect how his actions are intentional. This show that he puts on while pretending to be wild has a purpose. This would obviously impress his current supporters, but it might also appear so spectacular to his opponents that they would forget all his past misdeeds. We learn that Hal intends to redeem himself at a calculated time. He takes advantage of this opportunity in Act III, during a visit to his father. Following the king's harsh condemnation, he promises to start acting like a better prince, more worthy of his impending title. He says, “From now on, my thrice gracious lord, I will be more myself” (3.2.92-3). At this point, the audience realizes that Hal has played so many different roles that it is unclear who Hal actually is. When he says that he will be more "himself", that is, he will be a more respectable young man, this confirms that his unruly behavior is nothing more than an act and that his decent character is his true self. This performance by Hal is a very deliberate strategy. It also serves to protect one's title. Hal faces many difficult challenges as monarch. His father's title as king was unstable and possibly illegitimate due to the deposition and execution of Richard II. During the main action of the play, Henry is confronted by rebels who want his overthrow. By organizing his reform project, Hal could build a reputation as a strong, honorable and democratic leader, whom no one would want to resist. There are many examples of Hal's ability to play a role. In Act II Scene V, there is one moment in particular where the audience can see this clearly. Hal and Falstaff stage a role-play between King Henry and his son, with Falstaff playing the role of the king. After Falstaff gets carried away with himself as usual, Hal sees that this is unrealistic and interrupts, insisting that they reverse roles. Hal fits well into the role of king, showing how well he knows his father and how he can talk and act like a royal. If it is so easy for Hal to play this role despite his rebellious nature, the audience is left wondering which of his personalities are real and which are just a facade. For example, when speaking with Poins in Act II, Hal reveals that he "has mastered a quarter of an hour so well that he can drink with any tinker in his own language in the course of his life" (2.4.16). -18), that is, he is so advanced in integrating with the common people that in just fifteen minutes he can make them feel comfortable with him and speak their own language. In other words, he's a wonderful deceiver. Even the bartenders have crowned him "King of Courtesy" (2.4.10), and, as described above, he maintains familiar relations with all commoners. Their affinity for him, he claims, is due to his humility. With this talent, he will be able to command the popular masses when he is king. Having the support of the people can be a great asset, but the young prince is not ashamed to call them "loggerheads" (2.4.4) behind their backs. This shows that Hal can be quite manipulative and is not afraid to deceive people to get ahead. Clearly, Hal has a connection to the commoners of Eastcheap. However, when he is king, it is not in his best interest to rule according to their wishes at all times. This camaraderie allowsso it's up to Hal to know what attracts the lower classes. If, as king, he were to make decisions that were not favored by this group, Hal would know how to make them seem advantageous. In Machiavelli's mind, appearing like a noble king is far more important than actual nobility. Honor is the final and arguably hardest lesson for Hal to learn before becoming king. Apparently rebellious, lazy and always in the wrong crowd, Prince Hal did not live up to his father's expectations. In Act III, King Henry has summoned his son to court to speak to him, and he begins a long and harsh condemnation of the prince's actions. Scathingly, he says that Hotspur, who is the king's enemy, "has more interest in the State than the shadow of the succession" (3.2.98-99). He means that Hotspur's courage and honor made him, in the king's eyes, more worthy to be the next king than his own son, the prince. He describes Hotspur's bravery thus: "He fills the fields with harness in the kingdom, turns his head against the armed jaws of the lion and, being no more indebted for years than you, leads ancient lords and reverend bishops to bloody battles and deadly weapons. » (3.2.101-105). He calls him a “warrior child” and a “swaddling Mars” (3.2.112-113). He then says that Hal's behavior, in comparison, is so reprehensible in his eyes that he might as well "fight me on Percy's salary... to show how degenerate you are" (3.2. 126-128). To say that the damage inflicted on the kingdom by Hal's behavior is comparable to taking up arms against him is a particularly hurtful thing to say to one's son. It's clear that Hal is affected by this. He admits that his father's accusations are true and says that he will "redeem all this on Percy's head" (3.2.132). He says that the day when "this valiant Hotspur, this much-praised knight and your unthinkable chance to meet Harry" (3.2.140-141), will be a day of bloody vengeance and redemption for himself. This is an important scene because it takes place in the middle of the play. Seeing how disappointed his father is by his actions, Harry vows to never return to his degenerate ways and promises to make amends. This is the time when Hal will make his dramatic reformation as previously mentioned. From this point on in the play, there are no longer any long, silly tavern scenes, there is only preparation for war. The juxtaposition between Hotspur and the character of Harry, carried out by the king, highlights the symbolic relationship between the two. They are mirror opposites of each other. Hotspur symbolizes everything that Prince Hal could be, and Hal symbolizes everything that Hotspur is not. It is clear to the audience that Shakespeare is setting up an inevitable confrontation between the two, which will culminate in Act V. It is in this act that Harry begins to show his transformation towards maturity. Although Hotspur was his enemy, he said: "I do not think that a braver gentleman, more active-valiant or more valiant young, more daring or more daring, is now alive to honor this latter age of noble deeds » (5.1.89-92). Being able to see the truth of a man's character, without any hatred towards him, is a sign of wisdom and composure. He admits that “For my part, I can say to my shame, I played truant in chivalry” (5.1.93-94). Admitting his past mistakes and expressing his shame shows Harry's growth. He then politely proposes to fight a final battle to determine the outcome of the war with a single fight between the two rivals, in order to save the lives of the soldiers on both sides in an all-out battle. We, the audience, see the beginnings of a mature young man and Harry's redemption. His father also begins to see him in Act V, Scene IV. Henry meets..