Hal And The Father And Son example essay topic

Shakespeare deals with a parent-child relationship in the historical plays of Henry IV Parts One and Two in the characters of Henry Bullingsworth (Henry IV) and his son Hal (Prince of Wales, later Henry V). The fact stands clear in the development of the son, Hal: the son's success in life is not dependent on his relationship to his father politically, but success is demonstrated when there is a realization of both parties on the level of parental love. Hal is not living up to his name, but also to blame in his father's failure to love. Our discussion is based solely on the text itself, based primarily on three main dialogues between Hal and his father. The first dialogue demonstrates the father as he is concerned about the family name and general confrontation with the son regarding his unruly life style (I Henry IV, , ii).

Two items of background need to be mentioned. First, Hal's unruly lifestyle includes spending much time with the inevitable Sir John Falstaff. It is generally accepted that the substitute "father" figure of Hal's prodigal youth is found in the character Falstaff. Second, the father's argument finds its way back to his struggle to get where he is today. The King asks the rest to leave so that he and the prince may talk. In his first speech, we see the father trying to cope with the lifestyle of one of this very own.

His speech includes such questions as: what have I done to make you this? ("I know not whether God will have it so / For some displeasing service I have done" , ii, 5-6); do you realize that you are not a ting like a prince? How can you live such a lewd life (Tell me else, /Could such inordinate an low desires, ... Accompany the greatness of they blood, /And hold their level with thy princely heart?" 11, 17, 18).

We se the parent trying to retain some sort of respect that he feel has been lost. Hal, in his estimation, is living a double standard. Hal is trying to comprise the life of a prince and the pleasures of the lewd. (This is correct in some respect, yet there needs to be realization of the question: Why?) The prince's response to these accusations is an honest one.

There is no denial of his life style, and he shows general respect for what the king has said. So please your Majesty, I would I could / Quit al offenses With as clear excuse... I may for some things True, wherein my youth / Hath faulty wand " red and Irregular, /Find pardon on my true submission. (I Hen.

IV, ii 18, 19, 26-28). Hal's response shows the formality of the relationship with his father. This is where the fact of the shared responsibility of Hal's condition comes to life. The fact of the father's background helps us to realize that the King got where he is by sacrificing a few things, one of them his relationship with is older son.

And perhaps it may be stated tritely: like father, like son. Hal is coping with not having a father figure, and acting perhaps as his father would. Perhaps this initial confrontation could be a "Cat in the Cradle" theme, where the father suddenly realizes that his "boy is just like me, my boy is just like me". The father responds "God pardon thee!" in the continuing awkwardness of the situation. The king promotes the informal ness to the talk.

He lists specific failures that he sees in Hal's life and reactions to the situation. They include: losing his place in the Council to his younger brother (32, 33), alienating himself from the rest of the family (33, 34), losing the respect and hope of the people for a good successor to the throne (36-38), and making a mockery of all the king worked for (46-84). Then the "kicker" by the frustrated father: And in that very line, Harry stand est thou, /For thou hast lost they princely privilege / With vile participation. Not an eye / But is a-weary of they common sight, /Save mine, which hath de sir'd to see thee more, /Which now doth that I would not have it do, /Make blind itself with foolish tenderness (85-91). It is like Henry is saying, "So what do you have to say for yourself? You have really messed up my reputation and the family's with that people wouldn't have known of your foolishness.

You were the hope of the people, you had all the potential of building on the foundation that I left. Now it is in shambles". Hal's response is an understandable one: "I shall hereafter, my thrice-gracious lord, /Be more myself" (92, 93). Again there is not much intimacy in Hal's statement. It is more of "I will behave myself for you king'. No promise of change, just an outward conformity to the king's request.

Hal's comment is what the king asked for, as seen by the next speech by the king which picks up where he left off. It is almost as if the king did not really hear Hal. There is not a challenge to the shallowness of Hal's comments, no plea for intimacy with the son. After the king rehearses some of his problems about his enemies, he realizes the futility of it all: 'But wherefore do I tell these news to thee? / Why, Harry, do I tell thee of my foes, / Which art my nearest and dearest enemy?' (121-123). The king makes the ultimate statement of separation of father and son: Why am I telling you this?

You don't care! Hal's response is one that says, 'Yes, I do care. ' Hal swears his allegiance to the cause at hand, (saving the throne, ) but that seems to be the extent of his speech. A note can be made here in regard to Shakespeare's use of the pronouns you and thou. It is apparent that there is a distinction that was made between the two. Thomas Cable states: 'The th- forms of the singular (thou, thee, thy, thine) were regularly used by persons of higher rank addressing an inferior, by parents speaking to a child, and by lovers or spouses in situations of intimacy' (Cable 90).

The point becomes graphic when one looks at Hal's use of the pronoun and Henry's usage. Hal makes use of the you form throughout his next speech, while Henry has been using the thou from the outset. This syntactical note is not a rigid, flawless rule, but it does depict the conflict of the struggle for intimacy between father and son. A note could be made that after the reconciliation, Hal begins to use the thou form.

The second major dialogue is found in the same play, Act V, scene one. Although this dialogue is not as extensive as the first, it does show father and son in battle together. Hal, by being there fighting for the throne against Percy and the rebels, is giving weight to this promise that he does care about the kingdom and what his father thinks. This particular scene has the prince and the king 'talking shop' about the rebellion.

The prince is shown working by his father, which as some would say, 'is a step in the right direction. ' In the third major dialogue, we see the reconciliation taking place. In 2 Henry IV, act IV, scene v, king and prince truly become father and son. The king is dying and the son is realizing more and more that he will soon be king. The scene is set in the king's chamber, and king asleep with the crown beside him on his bed. Hal walks in and thinking that his father is dead laments over the crown.

He feels the responsibility of the position, of what his father left him. He puts the crown on the leaves to the next room to weep. The king, noticing the missing crown, calls for the court. He figures that Hal is power hungry and that all he cares about is the position that the 'old man' left for him to ruin. Warwick fetches Hal, and the father and son are left again, alone together to work out the misunderstanding.

'I never thought to hear you speak again. ' comments Hal. From there the king strongly rebukes thee son's foolishness. His lines include: 'Thou seek " st the greatness that will overwhelm thee' (97); 'Thy life did not manifest thou lov " dst me not, / and thou wilt have me die assur'd of it' (104,105); 'What, canst thou not forbear me half an hour? / Then get thee gone, and dig my grave thyself' (109,110); 'Harry the Fit is crown'd! Up in vanity! / Down, royal state!

All you sage counsellors, hence! / And to the English court assemble now, / From every region, apes of idleness!' (119-122); and 'O my poor kingdom, sick with civil blows!' (133). In short, it seems that the father blows everything out of proportion and is making snap judgments regarding Hal and the future of the kingdom. He basically feels that Hal is not capable of being a king. He is fearful that Hal will have his 'hoodlum' friends be his counselors. Hal's response is one of bafflement, repentance, if you will.

The impact of the thought of his father's pending death had changed his outlook on life. He was now ready to give up the 'high life' for the great responsibility that is before him. He bows in submission to his father. He wants to be understood. God witness with me, when I hear came in, / And found no course of breath within your Majesty, / How cold it heart!

/ If I do feign, / O, let me in my present wildness die, / and never live to show th' incredulous world / The noble change that I have purposed? (149-154) Hal goes on to plead to God to keep far away from letting the throne puff him up with pride. Now reconciliation is complete, for the son and father begin to understand one another. The father's response is not like the former times of lashing out in harsh tones, but is one of care and understanding. O my son, / God put it in thy mind to take it hence, / That thou might st win the more thy father's love, / Pleading so wisely in excuse of it! (177-180) From here, father speaks with son, giving wise council regarding the days that lay before the prince.

Hal manifests this change ultimately in the rejection of his former ways in the casting aside of Sir John Falstaff. Hal now king, becomes a great king. Shakespeare's Henry V shows this character as a true hero, perhaps one of his most true heroic figures in all his plays. Hal's success in life depended on two events, two realizations. First, inwardly, he needed to realize who his father really was; and, secondly, his father had to realize Hal as his son, not just a prince.

Hal was not a complete person in settling for substitutes (Falstaff), but when the father recognized Hal for who he was, that care was what filled the missing void in Hal's life. His potential was unlocked not by a position, but by a person: his father.