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Henry IV: Redemption


In Shakespeare's Henry IV, the character Hal, the Prince of Wales,
undergoes a transformation that can be characterized as a redemption.
Shakespeare introduces Hal, in the opening act as a renegade of the Court. His
avoidance of all public responsibility and his affinity for the company of the
Boar's Head Tavern, have caused serious concern for the King, because Hal is
heir to the throne. The King realizes that to keep order, a ruler and his heir
must prove to be both responsible and honorable; from the outset Hal possesses
neither quality. The King even testifies to his own advisor, that he would have
rather traded Hal for Hotspur, the son of the Earl of Northumberland. In the
King's eyes Hotspur, not Hal, is the "theme of honor's tongue" (1.1. 80),
because he has won his glory through his merits in war. Thus, Shakespeare has
set Hal and Hotspur in opposition: Hal, the prodigal prince, versus Hotspur,
the proper prince. Hal understands that he has......

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Approximate Word Count: 2036
Approximate Pages: 9 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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