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

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Hal would not allow himself to be so blinded by any one thing; he remains detached and ever sensible. He reveals to us in his soliloquy in Act I, scene 2, that he is merely feigning wantonness and depravity; he intends on staging a spectacular reformation of character that will make him look even more remarkable to the eyes of the unsuspecting court:

Yet herein will I imitate the sun,

Who doth permit the base contagious clouds

To smother up his beauty from the world,

That when he please again to be himself,

Being wanted, he may be more wondered at

By breaking through the foul ugly mists

Of vapors that did seem to strangle him…

My reformation, glitt’ring o’er my fault,

Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes

Than that with hath no foil to set it off (14). Falstaff’s improvisation and play-acting sessions with Hal no doubt honed Hal’s skill.

Hal’s speech is flattering without being obsequious, and regretful without seeming insincere or sarcastic. in a tavern, he is actually carefully planning out his political career.

Hal’s art for diplomacy is another talent that aids the construction of his very own legend. Even his tavern life and his choice of friendships serve a practical and very necessary purpose. He is also able to pacify King Henry and regain his trust.

Prince: What sayest thou to a hare, or the melancholy of Moorditch? (10)

In this passage, Falstaff and Hal compete to come up with as many similes to describe Falstaff’s present feeling of melancholy. His practicality and sensibility sets him apart from his hotheaded rival, Hotspur, and eventually allows him to emerge the hero of the play. Hal fritters away much of his free time in the rowdy, boisterous and disreputable tavern life of Eastcheap; he appears to be shirking his duties as prince, spending his time drinking, wenching and playing practical jokes instead of helping out his father, King Henry. ” 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. Moreover, Hal’s rhetorical fluency, theatrical skill and aptitude for diplomacy, lets him manipulate every situation to his favor. His practicality serves as a direct contrast to Hotspur’s fervid bouts of rashness. An excellent example of Hal’s diplomatic skill is when he is praising Hotspur to Worcester:

I do not think a braver gentleman

More active-valiant or more valiant-young

More daring or more bold, is now alive…

For my part, I may speak it to my shame,

I have a truant been to chivalry (100).

Approximate Word count = 1880
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

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