Prince Hal

Prince Hal changes dramatically from The First Part of King Henry the Fourth and The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth. In the first part, Hal was foolhardy and carefree. However, the prince slowly reveals to the audience that he is more than meets the eye. As the second part draws to an end, Hal, known as King Henry V, has matured to an exceptional extent. Hal has always been mature in his heart; he always knew what he was doing. However, when the time of which he must fulfill his duty as king came, it will be too late to savor his youth; thus being carefree.

Prince Hal was very sportive with women and join Falstaff in causing mischief among the people in his kingdom. Hal was convinced by Poins and Falstaff to rob a group of travelers. “Hal, wilt thou make one? / Who, I rob? I a thief? Not I, by my faith. / There’s neither honesty, manhood, or good fellowship in thee, nor thou cam’st not of the / royal blood, if thou darest not stand for ten shillings … Sir John, I prithee leave the Prince and me alone. / I will lay him down such reasons for this adventure / that he shall go.” Hal and Poins also plotted to play a joke on Falstaff. They step out of the stage right before the travelers enter. They enter the stage again, but are disguised as thieves. The fooled Falstaff runs in fear as Poins and Hal laugh at his cowardice and enjoy the treasures they have looted. “Got with much ease. Now merrily to horse. / The thieves are all scattered and possessed with fear / So strongly that they dare not meet each other; / Each takes his fellow for an officer. / Away, good Ned. Falstaff sweats to death / And lards the lean earth as he walks along. / Were �t not for laughing, I should pity him.”

Once Hal is alone on the stage, his soliloquy reveals his true self. He tells the audience that he is merely following the characteristics for the sun. He will allow the clouds - Falstaff and Poins - to cloud his rays. Once Hal becomes king, he will dispel the clouds, and he will be radiant. “I know you all, and will awhile uphold / The unyoked humor of your idleness. / 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 and ugly mists / Of vapors that did seem to strangle him.”

Hal has always been in control of his life and will always be in control over his life. Once he is king, he will prove everyone wrong. He believes his words mean nothing compared to how he will be when he is king. “To sport would be as tedious as to work; / But when they seldom come, they wished-for come, / And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents. / So when this loose behavior I throw off / And pay the debt I never promised, / By how much better than my word I am, / By so much shall I falsify men’s hopes; And like bright metal on a sullen ground, / My reformation, glittering o’er my fault, / Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes / Than that which hath no foil to set it off.” In his soliloquy, Hal