the character of Hal in Henry
Maynard Mack credits Hal with having simply "met the claims of Hotspur's world, of Falstaff's, and of Henry's, without narrowing himself to any one" and of having "brought into practical balance court, field and tavern." Indeed, Hal, as heir to the throne and as a nobleman, has been trained in the arts of diplomacy, chivalry and military skills. However, he proves to be more than simply a well-trained prince with a natural knack for shifting through entirely dissimilar worlds with ease and dexterity. Claire McEachern asserts that Hal has done much more than just meet the claims of the three different worlds of the court, tavern and field; she argues that Hal is a "consummately theatrical ruler", a character "in control of his legend from the start." Hal's shrewdness, practicality, theatrical skill, rhetorical facility and diplomatic expertise allow him to be more in control of himself than any other character in the play. His every action is deliberate and carefully thought-out, and is part of his master plan. He is both the playwright and the protagonist of his own story, the author of his very own legend. Hal reveals himself to be a shrewd and calculating character. Though he spends much of the play frolicking around
Yet herein will I imitate the sun, Vernon is utterly dazzled by the sight of Hal's appearance and he makes numerous references to Hal's transformation from a dissolute boy to a grand prince. He describes Hal as having "risen from the ground" and "vaulted", seemingly without effort, into his "seat." Additionally, he conjures up royal and noble imagery by using similes such as "All plumed like estridges" and "as gorgeous as the sun." It is obvious that Hal's reformation amazed and astonished the court; his scheme turned out to be a success and Hal proved himself able of creating his very own legend. Myself of many I am charged withal. And vaulted with such ease into is seat (85) Hal also possesses a great theatrical skill. This talent allows him to move easily through the three worlds he inhabits and eventually facilitates his glittering reformation. McEachern writes that Hal is "nothing so much as an actor, able to take on the guise most likely to serve his purpose: the barroom crony, the prince of good fellows, the penitent son, or the chivalrous challenger." We are sure of Hal's sincerity only once throughout the entire play, during his soliloquy when he spells out exactly what his true intentions are. Otherwise, we don't know when Hal is playing a role or being earnest. He gets along quite amiably with his tavern friends, but we don't know whether he is being genuine or merely feigning friendship. Similarly, when he sings Hotspur's praises to Worcester, we're not quite sure whether he honestly admires Hotspur or whether he has some ulterior motive for being so deferential and admiring. It is most likely a combination of both reasons; he feels affection towards his tavern friends, but they also serve him a practical purpose. Correspondingly, he admires some of Hotspur's skills and accomplishments, but, nevertheless, he is playing the role of the "chivalrous challenger" and further dramatizing his moral reformation by affecting such extreme reverence and courtesy.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Henry Hal, Falstaff Hal, King Henry, Moreover Hal's, Claire McEachern, Hotspur Worcester, Indeed Hal, Falstaff Yea, Falstaff's Henry's, Maynard Mack, tavern friends, own legend, king henry, theatrical skill, tavern life, base contagious clouds, base contagious, contagious clouds, true intentions, serve purpose, melancholy moorditch, serve practical purpose, foul ugly mists,
Approximate Word count = 1880
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
