The main ideas of the play are redemption, honour, what it required to be an ideal King, and the waywardness of youth. It is through contrasting of the different father/ son relationships that we can see these ideas taking form. The main ideas within the play are all evident within the relationship between the King and Prince but only become clear when contrasted with the other similar relationships within the play.

The relationship between Hal and his father can be typified by the all too familiar tradition of adolescents rebelling against authority, which in this case is his father, the King. Hal's avoidance of all public responsibility, and his affinity with the Boar's Head Tavern in Eastcheap, causes great concern for the King. This resentment towards his father appears to stem from his "Debt" he had never "promised" (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 207), his accident of birth leaving him with the huge responsibility of being the future King of England. The King believes he has done England a honourable deed by gaining the throne from Richard II and is wholly aware that to

And your unthought-of Harry chance to meet"

"leads ancient lords and reverend bishops on

And God forgive them so much have swayed

Your majesty's good thoughts away from me.

rude society as there art matched withal...........

Some common words found in the essay are:
King Henry, Douglas Act, Prince Hal, Henry Percy, Henry IV, King Hal, Earl Northumberland, Lancaster Hal's, Tavern Eastcheap, King King, 2 line, scene 2, act 3, 3 scene 2, act 3 scene, 3 scene, scene 2 line, 1 scene, act 1, act 1 scene, king henry, scene 3, scene 1, 1 scene 1, henry percy,
Approximate Word count = 2509
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)