A Comparison of Corrupt Kings in Shakespeare's Henry IV and Richard II

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 Henry's constant tirades stating that he wished Hotspur was his son

In addition to banishment, Henry was also unfairly taken of his families' wealth, land, and title, from which he was the rightful heir. Henry contrasted Richard in many ways, in that he was honest, and very practical. Furthermore, Henry was very reluctant to assume the role of future King, eventually accepting after urging and support from the other nobles.

Richard, the main character of the Shakespeare’s play, Richard III is portrayed as socially destructive and politically over-ambitious. His destructive potential is depicted by the way he relates with the other protagonists in the play and also by what he confesses as his intentions.

Shakespeare’s plays were grouped into three categories: comedies, tragedies and histories. The histories were those plays based on the lives of English kings. Shakespeare was one of the first writers to write about English history. According to Garber, “before Shakespeare’s time there were few history plays such written in England--- England history was told in verse and prose chronicles (239)”. It’s considered that Richard II is one of the early “historical plays”. The play became so iconic that even Queen Elizabeth said that she was “Richard the second, know ye not that”. Richard II tells the story about a king’s downfall.

n Shakespeare's King Henry V, King Henry prepares his troops for battle with a passionate speech about fighting, honor, and kinship. Henry uses strong ethos and pathos to persuade his men to fight the French, though they are outnumbered in the battle. Henry notes that his troops feel unprepared and overwhelmed for battle. This speech marks the moment where the boy Hal transforms into King Henry. For the first time, Henry takes on the role of a valiant king and takes control of the situation. He seizes the moment to prepare them and inspire them. Henry hopes by making an effective speech his men will understand why they need to fight.

Although King Henry and Falstaff are extremely different characters, both do act as father figures in Hal’s life with Falstaff as a surrogate father and King Henry as Hal’s birth father. With King Henry, this fatherly relationship emerges as one of blindly scolding and ordering around his son, an example being when the King criticizes Hal’s friends, “rude society” (3.2.14). The relationship with Hal and his surrogate father, Falstaff, though is much more relaxed with Falstaff teasing Hal, by touching on Hal’s slight insecurity of taking care of his princely duties, calling Hal “true prince” (2.4.106). Although both these relationships are very different in how relaxed they are, there is a similarity of King Henry and Falstaff acting as fatherly figures in Hal’s life.

Not only does he construct his speech like a courtier, but he also appeals to the great conflict of the moment – namely, Hotspur’s rebellion. His speech is full of the imagery of war; specifically, of the aftermath of war, after he has won his battle with Hotspur and reclaimed his own honor and dignity. (“When I will wear a garment all of blood/And stain my favours in a bloody mask/Which, wash’d away, shall scour my own shame with it.” 3.2.135.37) Though this description and his delight in it is emotional, the speech is equally grounded in logic, calculation, and deliberation. It is notable that Hal has planned out exactly what he intends to do, and how he will go about it. He argues for himself like a particularly invested lawyer, with his neatly constructed statements catered to the perspective of his audience, the king. “Percy is but my factor (3.2.147),” he claims, cleverly placing himself and Hotspur on the same playing field, despite his own lack of achievement. Hal’s construction of his speech is remarkably calculated; his delivery and execution, remarkably

Being a King is no easy task, it is full of responsibility, action, and a strong-willed spirit. His interactions will teach him how to rule. having to look at all fronts in the courts, in the tavern with Falstaff, rich, poor, or the face of war and death, all of this will compile to a person who will be just and wise. He is not looking for a format to follow, or simply fill in the shoes his father left, but is creating his own way of ruling, and each influence will add to his own individuality and to his country, as he even says himself “I shall hereafter, my thrice-gracious lord,/ Be more myself.” (S.3. A.3. Versus 92-93) Hal is now going into his final transformation from prince, to

Prince Hal shows a great deal of insight in this revelation; his words show that he realizes he has a twofold boundary to overcome: first, he is seen as overly juvenile and flighty by most of his father’s men; second, and more importantly, Hal knows that he has no claim to the divine right to rule, as he is not of Richard II’s bloodline. It seems, then, that Hal knows full well “the way that men respond to the image of royalty, and [is] no less instinctive a politician than his father,” and is in fact “the creator as well as the creature of political mythology, the author as well as the hero of his legend” (Ornstein, 137). By rising phoenix-like out of the ashes, Hal knows that he will make a more compelling impression on England than if he had been conventionally “princely” all his life, and plays this dramatic advantage to

This gives Hal a constant sense of inaptness. Knowing that his father thinks low of him drives him more towards Falstaff who praises him at all times, giving him the support he needs at such age. Hal’s disobedience is partly a stubborn reaction to his father’s criticism and partly a rebellion that is natural in his age. On the other hand, King Henry IV is haunted by a sense of guilt that is translated to a feeling of suspicion towards his own son. The source of this guilt is his usurping of the throne and, in a way or another, being a participant in the killing of Richard II, if not by giving the orders at least by turning a blind eye to it. King Henry IV unconsciously harbors a belief that God will punish him for doing this through his son. He expects that it will either be the fall of Hal when he succeeds him or Hal overthrowing him and taking over the throne. However, both options lead the king to treat his son with caution. An example of this is his fury when he wakes up to find that his crown is missing and thinking that his son wishes his death to become the king.

of Act 5.4, using his realization and motivation as a basis for his actions, Hal

Henry the Fifth has been noted as England’s best King throughout history. He was loved among the common people and nobles alike for his fairness, his effectiveness on the throne, his justness, and his ability to relate to people of all classes. The kings that reigned before him, especially his father King Henry IV and King John, provide a striking contrast to Hal’s attitude on the throne. Kings of the past had not experienced the life of the common people, and chose to lead their lives in the realm of the castle. As we witnessed in I Henry IV, Hal’s father even went as far to discuss this approach to ruling at length with Hal. Henry IV believed that a king was best admired and supplicated if he was kept

In this play we do not see much of Henry's development into a good king, as he starts fairly sure in himself and in his leadership. We see him described as a man with a very troubled youth, one not fit for a king, but still him growing up into one.

Throughout the play King Henry would like his son, Prince Hal, to act a certain way. The King wants Prince Hal to act royal and responsible, like Hotspur. Instead, Prince Hal decides to act out and represent immature behavior with his sidekick Falstaff. King Henry states, “See riot and dishonor stain the brow of my young Harry. O, that it could be proved that some night tripping fairy had exchanged in cradle clothes our children where they lay, and called mine Percy, his Plantagenet!” (I, I, 87-89). The King

worried that Hal might try to speed Henry's demise so that he could assume the