Natalie Boyco

May. 15/ 2015

Shakespeare Essay Draft
Throughout Henry IV by Shakespeare the theme of what kingship
means is
reoccurring. Kingship can be seen as a position only worthy of those
with respect,
but what form that respect comes in varies for each character. King
Henry believes a
king must be reserved and modest. Prince Harry believes a king must
be vulnerable
yet honorable. Hotspur believes kingship is about titles and how many
foes are
conquered. These various perspectives of kingship cause disagreement
and
disloyalty among the characters.
King Henry, having won the peoples respect from the previous king,
knows what
his kingdoms people want from him and the many virtues that should
be present to
earn their admiration. By being seldom seen, I could not stir, But like
a comet I was
wondered at; And then I stole all courtesy from heaven, And dressed
myself in
such humility that I did pluck allegiance from mens hearts, (46 53).
King Henry
managed to go from outcast to king by being modest and reserved.
King Henry
believes being reserved is important because it shows the people that
he is indeed a

king, someone who is worthy of being looked upon with wonder. The
previous king
mingled with the people too often and soon they began to hate the
taste of that
sweetness.. By being more rare King Henry also showed his people
that he was
more of a serious leader, therefore capable of handling more
responsibility. The old
king who ambled up and down and mingled his royalty with capring
fools was
seen as more of a fool. He therefore was less deserving of the
populations ability to
rely on him. By being modest, King Henry displayed to his people that
although he
was a king, he was not materialistic, vain or superficial. The king
showed respect for
his fellow people by dressing in robe pontifical which is modest and
not
extravagant but still grand therefore showing his people and fellow
peers that he
cares enough about them to dress up but is not being rude by bragging
about his
wealth. The previous king surrounded himself with shallow jesters
and grew a
companion to the common streets. Lastly King Henry earned the
respect of his
people by voicing his opinions and not letting younger men sway his
decisions. This
displayed that he had confidence and trusted his own instinct enough
to stand up to

those who opposed him. The previous king would stand the push of
every
beardless vain comparative. By mingling with the common people
King Richard
puts himself in a precarious position allowing the people to frequently
judge him
and observe him as a boisterous fool who does not stick up for his own
ideas but
instead tolerates those who disagree with him without a fight. The
common people
see King Richard less and less as a king and more of as an average
person. King
Henrys tactic of being modest and reserved gave the people of the
kingdom what
they were looking for in a king since they had gotten tired of their
previous one.
Therefore by acting the opposite of King Richard, King Henry gained
the peoples
respect and the crown.
Prince Harry is next in line for the throne and despite the fact that
he acts as King
Richard did when he lost the throne to King Henry, Prince Harry still
manages to
win respect from the common people by showing youthful vulnerability.
And, like
bright metal on sullen ground, my reformation, glittring oer my fault,
shall show
more goodly and attract more eyes than that which hath no foil to set
it off. Ill

offend to make offense a skill, redeeming time when men think least I
will. (182
187). Then repenting his old ways and showing honor on the
battlefield. For my
part, I may speak it to my shame, I have a truant been to chivalry, and
so I hear he
doth account me too. Yet this before my fathers majesty: I am content
that he shall
take the odds of his great name and estimation, and will, to save blood
on either
side, try fortune with him in a single fight. (93- 100). Using these
tactics of reform
Prince Harry earn the respect of his fathers enemies. Despite playing
the sorry fool,
Prince Harry is fully aware of his actions. He purposely acts wild and
un-princely so
that when he rids himself of vapors that did seem to strangle him he
will seem an
even better person for conquering his dark past. Prince Harry also
admits that he is
using Fallstaff and his friends to get himself into trouble so that he can
blame their
influence on him as an excuse for his actions. Falstaff and his friends
are the sullen
ground and Prince Harry is the bright metal. Prince Harrys tactics
do work and
is seen to shine brighter in the eyes of the enemies during the final
battle. Using
eloquent language while challenging Hotspur, Prince Harry manages to
convince

even his enemies that he is now an honorable person worthy of their

respect.
England did never owe so sweet a hope, so much misconstrued in his
wantoness.
Hotspur already has earned respect from both the king and all the
other nobles by
winning various battles and titles. I better brook the loss of brittle life
than those
proud titles thou hast won of me. They wound my thoughts worse than
thy sword
my flesh. (77- 80). King Henry himself said that Hotspur is more
worthy of the title
King or heir to the throne than Prince Harry due to all of his
achievements, however
even in his dying moments Hotspur laments not about his loss of life
but his loss of
titles. Due to his intense drive for titles and status Hotspur dies with
the respect of
everyone around him, even Prince Harry who killed him.
All throughout Shakespeares Henry IV it becomes apparent that
Kings, future
kings and those in power need some form of respect to stay in their
position. King
Henry earned his respect from being the opposite of the old king
through modesty
and reclusiveness. Prince Harry earned his respect through playing the
unredeemable delinquent, then shining through his dark past and
showing honor on

the battlefield. Therefore earning the respect of both his father and his
enemies.
Hotspur who could have become king if Prince Harry had not redeemed
himself
earned his respect through winning battles and titles. In conclusion it is
impossible
to be a king or be a potential king without the respect of the
surrounding nobles and
general public, otherwise the king is overthrown like what happened to
the previous
monarch, King Richard.