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Essay / The concept of honor in Henry Iv by William Shakespeare
Honorable mentionsSay no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The characters of Prince Hal and King Henry in William Shakespeare's drama Henry IV depict an unlikely father-son relationship. Shakespeare demonstrates the plight of Prince Hal by associating him with consistent approaches to negative influences. These strengths come primarily from his father, King Henry IV, and his friendship with Falstaff, a worthless acquaintance. Besides his father's extremely high expectations, Prince Hal must constantly compare himself and the noble Hotspur. These three influences make Hal an important leader, which is essentially a fundamental part of his training to become an ideal leader. In the play, the notion of honor plays a central role through the characters; each character perceives the concept differently. Obviously, the uncertain concept leads them to different lines of action. The notion of honor changes from one individual to another and in this way the theme of honor does not have a specific meaning. Instead, the word contains multiple meanings due to the different interpretations of the characters. These three distinct people, Falstaff, Hotspur, and Prince Hal, all view the concept of honor in a unique way. While Hotspur and Hal ideally perceive recognition as something important and laudable, Falstaff recognizes courage as a simple word that endures among the dead. Falstaff is a thief, delinquent, and deadbeat who abuses his commission as an officer and neglects to pay his dues to the inn. This combination of evidence reflects the fact that he justifies himself as a character who is not honest. Before the war between the king and the enemies, Falstaff continues to make money by taking valuables and money from men who decide not to fight in battle. Instead of taking real soldiers into battle, Falstaff takes people who are beggars and prisoners and uses them as his army, which is a highly offensive action. Falstaff explains his idea of honor by describing how it cannot "take away sorrow from a wound" (5.1.) and that it is not something that can remain with the living. According to Falstaff, honor is a “word…hair.” A precise calculation” (5.1.), meaning that Falstaff views honor in a simplistic and meaningless way. Falstaff proves he has no concept of honor when he claims to have killed Hotspur himself, even though he had just seen Prince Hal kill him. Although honesty is not important to Falstaff, it is imperative to others who attribute specific meaning to it. King Henry states that Hotspur is the "theme of the tongue of Honor" to present him as the perfect example of an honorable man (1.1.). Hotspur's concept of honor is primarily about redeeming and protecting his reputation as a perfect honorable man. Readers reveal this vengeance via the dethroning of King Henry on the battlefield. Through this way of promising a place among royalty, Hotspur seems to base honor on a respectful scale and believes that recognition by defeating one in battle has been earned. Before the fight, Hotspur learns that his father will not join them in battle, causing a delay for Glendower and his forces. Ultimately, Hotspur views the absence of his allies as a challenge; if he manages to defeat the king's army, he will receive a reward of great honor. Additionally, even dying in battle is considered a way for Hotspur to gain honor: "For be it so, my father and Glendower being both absent, our powers. 2016.