Shakespeare Essay, Research Paper

From Rogue to Royalty

Introduction:

The transformation of Hal, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, from a youthfull trouble maker into a dignified King is one of the major psychological developments of Henry IV, Part 1. Hal struggles with the inablility to define his destined position in life; a responsible part of the monarch, as his father much desires, or a rogue like John Falstaff, a fat old man who steals and lies for a living. In the early stages of the play, Hal spends most of his time in taverns on the shabby side of London, hanging around with highwaymen and vagrants. Shortly thereafter, the first stages of transformation emerge as he hints of uncertainty about his role in the state and talks of abandoning his vagabond ways to behave as a royal prince should. By the end of the play he proves that he will fulfil his role and embrace his royal blood by standing with his father to fight in battle.

He had long planned to do this, as was earlier revealed in I.ii. Hal says explicitly that he is only behaving so badly in order to make his eventual reformation more impressive.

“So when this loose behavior i throw off / and pay the debt i never promised….”

In this line he refers to his relationship with Flastaff and the low lifes of the boars head tavern in contrast to the upholding of the monarchy. He planned to redeem himself “when men think least I will” (I.ii.212).

Paragraph 2:

Hal’s metamorphesis is outwardly apparent to others, but most importantly to his father. The crucial moment when Hal starts to weave his cocoon is very brief and often overlooked. Evidently, with his father in despair and war looming nearer, Hal decides it is the right time to make his move.(describe fathers speech)… In the midst of his father’s long speech of reproof, Hal gives a single sentenced reply implying that he is will rid himself of the worn out, lazy image he had previously projected and reveal his king-like qualities.

“I shall hereafter, my thrice gracious lord,

Be more myself” (III, ii, 94-95)

Hal eventually adds to this promise after his father has finished speaking with a long, detailed and elaboarte speech where he makes clear the terms of his commitment to change from catepillar to butterfly and vows to do specific things to prove it. He acknowledges his past faults, begs his father’s forgiveness and swears to stay clear of his old ways.

Paragraph 3:

Hal’s choice of language expresses changes in his frame of mind, his changing environment and his developing ambitions. Up until the the end of the play, Hal only spoke in poetry when addressing nobility and in prose when drinking and socializing with his friends in the tavern. The altered speech patterns reveal that Hal felt that he had to ability to take on two different lives in opposing sectors of society without really possessing a concrete identity. His acceptance of his true destined position can be seen when he decides to speak to Falstaff in verse.

“I prithee, speak; we will not truse our eyes

Without our ears: thou art not what thou seem’st.”

This sudden change of character is even more important than it seems because it takes place during the first time that all the characters, from both the palace and the tavern, are in the same scene. This perhaps forces Hal to choose a side. Upon being faced with this predicament, Hal’s desire towards maturity and acceptance of his descendance shines through and his father’s distinction from the other characters becomes clearly defined. Hal becomes aware of the obvious difference between himself and Falstaff and no longer looks to him as a fatherly figure.

“Come, bring your luggage nobly on your back:

For my part, if a lie may do thee grace,

I’ll gild it with the happiest terms I have.”

Hal talks of Falstaffs need for the recognition of having killed Hotspur. Other than attempting to prove his lie false, as he may have done at the beginning of the play, Hal accepts that Falstaff needs to lie in order to make himself look better and feel better about himself. Although Hal comes to these realizations, their friendship does not end on a bad note. Hal’s transition unknowingly led them down different paths.

Conclusion:

The metamorphisis that Hal, Prince of Wales, endures is greatly exemplified through, both, his actions and his use of language. He finally proves himself when he flies from his cocoon, leaving his tavern dwellers and old way of life in the last scene of the play. He managed to search within and find the honor he owed to his royal family and to himself. This transition served to give his character a psychological complexity which, in the end, differentiated him from the rest of his old friends.