Remaining onstage at the end of Act V, Scene I of Shakespeare’s The First Part of King Henry IV, Sir John Falstaff delivers a rumination on the meaning of honor that reduces the noble human ambition to nothing more than an empty symbol of the dead. In doing so, Falstaff resists the aims and motivations of the most influential and powerful characters of the play; Falstaff’s passions—for life, for living, for joy—are undervalued by the courtly culture Prince Hal is joining. In this speech,…
Shakespeare’s Henry IV part I follows the transformation of numerous characters. The King of Wales son, Prince Hal, is seen going through one of the most apparent transformations, a form of self redemption. Initially, Hal is introduced as a thief, associating with the gutter of Wales. He completely disregards any responsibility given to him by his father which provides as a huge disappointment to the King. Eventually it seems as if Hal’s bitterness towards his fathers admiration for Hotspur, a…
Throughout the drama, Goldman uses idiolect to vary the personalities of the characters. He especially utilizes the idiolect and thought processes of England’s nobility in order to show the varying levels of knowledge in treaties, land, and power. Henry II, being the King of England, displays a great sense of knowledge in the status of his empire as well as how to negotiate with neighboring countries. For example, when meeting with King Philip of France, Henry began the negotiations, stating,…
a person is considered ‘honorable’ is continually displayed through the main characters of Prince Hal, King Henry, Falstaff, and Hotspur and their constant interest their own honor (“Henry IV”). To begin, Prince Hal, who later becomes King Henry V, has a very interesting transformation throughout the two plays. At the beginning of the play, the King says about his son, “Yea, there thou mak’st me sad, and mak’st me sin / In envy that my Lord Northumberland / Should be the father to so blest a…
In Act 4 scene 1, Henry tries to impose the idea to Williams, Court, and Bates that the king is just like any other man. He implores the three men to think of the king as one of their own comrades. That the king thinks and feels like the lower class, he’s just not allowed to show any other emotion than confidence. “I think the king is but a/ man as I am…Therefore, when he sees reason of fears as we/ do, his fears, out of doubt, be of the same relish as/ ours are.” (4.1.105-114). Henry’s…
While Henry IV Part I (Henry IV) may seem only a quintessential medieval tale of revelry and victory in battle, as we delve deeper into Shakespeare’s representation of the motivations and actions of its characters we begin to appreciate the latent political messages at play. The story of Henry IV Part I is fundamentally driven by a quest for legitimacy and an examination of what is required of a political leader. These personal and political ideas are similarly present in Peter Jackson’s film…
pervasive discrimination of Jim Crow. Describe two such doctrinal innovations—how did the law change from previous interpretations and what are the specific case examples? Brown v. Board of Education is an excellent example of doctrinal innovation that changed its interpretation from previous precedent such as in Plessy v. Ferguson. This changed the interpretation of the 14th amendment Equal Protection Clause. When the 14th amendment was ratified in 1868, the framers had a very narrow…
Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” are both excellent novels. Twain has various inspirations for writing, uses several types of dialogue to convey each character’s individual personality, but writes the stories with a similar theme. By doing these things, Twain makes these stories unlike the other yet still interesting. First, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn exemplifies his approach to writing stories based on his own…
Arthur transcends time The name King Arthur evokes images of mythical legends and elements that still exist today. The legend of King Arthur effects directors, writers, and even toy makers. But what is it about this legend that fuels our imagination and creativity? Perhaps it is humans desire to see good overcome evil. Some are enthralled with the magical elements. Others love the adaptability of the legend. I believe it is the mixture of good versus evil, magic, and adaptability that…
In the classic novel Puddn 'head Wilson, Mark Twain balances humor with some serious subject matter while weaving an involved tale concerning a slave who replaces her master 's child with her own son. Roxana, a slave belonging to the brother of the eminent Judge Driscoll, replaces his son Tom with her nearly identical son, Chambers. Although no one notices for many years, the truth is discovered by “Puddn 'head” Wilson, an underestimated scholar, and is eventually revealed when Roxana 's “Tom”…