King Henry -- Act 2, Scene 4, Lines 138-end
Please post your comment for the last half of Scene 4 of Act 2 here. Instructions are on the Scene 3 post.
posted by T Sale at 11:36 AM
posted by T Sale at 11:36 AM
8 Comments:
In response to Kelsee's comments,
I was also frustrated with Falstaff's conduct, but I thought more than simply empasizing his bold, egotistical nature, Shakespeare highlights the cultural importance of valiance and courage. Falstaff is very fat, and usually drunk, so he can physically do very little to prove himself brave. Thus, he must create stories that portray himself as a valiant warrior, someone who fights for his countryman's rights. Futhermore, he mocks the King and Hal by suggesting that Hal would believe his lies. Perhaps Falstaff is testing the nature of the Prince-- is he realistic? is he gullible? does he value courage? will he be a good king? Although he often provides some measure of comic relief, what is Shakespeare's purpose in introducing and developing Falstaff's selfish, boastful personality?
Response to Act 2 Scene 4 Part 2:
9) After exploring Act 2 Scene 4 Part 2, the motif of honor and courage stood out. At first, Hal is questioning Gadshill, Peto, and Bardolph about why they so quickly ran away when he and Poins attacked them, stating that they “ran away upon instinct” (2.4.312), framing them as cowardly people who could not “touch the true prince” (2.4.313). This sets up the mind frame of Hal as one in which he cherishes honor and courage, even going as far as to harass those who do not portray such attitudes. For example, when Falstaff returns from talking to Sir John Bracy, he mentions the wars that are occurring in Northern England, which transpires in to statement in which Falstaff states that “that rascal [Glendower] hath good mettle in him. He will not run” (2.4.361-362), which again shows a preference for courage and honor over cowardness. However, Hal points out a central fact of this play, that even though the characters seem to profess the appropriateness of living with honor and courage, they never seem to live in such a way, by stating that “what a rascal art thou then to praise him so for running” (2.4.363-364). Why do the characters idolize a life of honor, yet refuse to live in such a manner? For when Falstaff and his pack of thieves are attacked by Poins and Hal, instead of fighting, they run, settling for the lies planned out by Falstaff that they should look and act in such a way that “would make you believe it was done in a fight” (2.4.319). By making up this excuse, not only does it prove that they are not heroic, but that they also know that that ideal is the goal for which they must be striving to live by. This creates a conflict within the lives of the characters that show the audience the differences between how one knows they should live, and then how one actually chooses to live, in which some even go to the point of open rebellion to that stated goal because they know it is not within their reach. Thus, could this be Falstaff’s mental dilemma that is causing him to advocate one ideal, yet live for another? Then, the question is how does this impact Hal and his interpretation of courage and honor and the role that it should play in his life. For instance, when Falstaff is portraying the King and provides a description of himself, he does not focus on the wonderful qualities that he has, but on the characteristic of himself that even if he “ be lewdly given, he deceiveth me, for … I see virtue in his looks” (2.4.439-441), which leads Hal to the thought that one does not actually have to be honorable or courageous, but to just look like it, to have the effect of having honor and courage. Could this possibly play into the actions taken later on by Hal, even explaining why he now chooses to stay with the pub-crawlers because from that point he can easily assume a courageous air because he was able to overcome their temptations? At this point, the motif of courage and honor is being toyed with in an attempt to come to a conclusion on the actual purpose and necessity of one having honor and courage. I thought this was an extremely interesting subtlety that Shakespeare placed into this scene, so that the reader may question what is greater, what is actual or what is seen?
Act II Scene IV
3) Nothing really confused me in the rest of the scene, except for it's existence in the first place. What is the point of this scene? I feel that the only part important to the plot is that Prince Hal gets the message to attend court the following day. Everything else in the scene is comedy, from Hal and Falstaff's roleplay to Hal's jokes at the end about Falstaff's weight. Not that comedy is bad, but it seems almost as if the comedy is the glue holding this play together.
response to chennery f
Hal benefits from the companying of the pub crawlers because it is a place where he has no responsibility or is judged by his father. From the earlier court scenes, it is obvious that his father is only concerned with wars and is critical of his son. When Hal is around Flastaff is concerns are comical and he is not judged by Falstaff. Falstaff is an unconditional friend for Hal and the scene in which Falstaff assumes the role of king, there is an accurate dialogue of how critical the king would be of his son. This is why Hal needs comical relief.
In response to Kylee's question.
I think that Falstaff represents the childish, immature side of Prince Hal. He wants to cling to his gluttonius (sp?) lifestyle, and live the 'good life'. Prince Hal stays friends with Falstaff so that he can always have a good time, even on the toughest of days. I think that when Prince Hal becomes King, he will keep Falstaff around to keep him company. Falstaff also doesn't expect much from him, even with his position as heir to the throne. THis is probably relieving to the Prince, because if he were living in the castle, he would be pressured into acting like royalty. Falstaff acts as a foil to the lifestyle Prince Hal was born to live-- that of the King.
Response to Emily M.:
At first, I agreed with you, but the more I looked into the scene and the meaning that the comedy can hold, I found that this scene is much more important that originally thought. This scene demonstrates the relationship between Hal and Falstaff that provide a foundation for understanding their actions throughout the rest of the play. Here, we begin to understand their motives, such as it seems Prince Hal is beginning to understand the reasons why he needs to be courageous, as he spends a good majority of the time questioning the courageousness of the people that he surrounds himself with. Could it be possible that Falstaff is intentionally acting in this uncourageous way, to push the Hal in the right direction? This just might be the case. The importance of this scene is that Hal is beginning to put together his personal morals that are going to dictate the kind of King that he is going to be. It is this growth that I think was the focus and meaning of this scene, not just the comedic relief, which did provide a foundation for these thoughts to be shown on.
Act 2 Scene 4 (lines 138-end)
10)
Having Falstaff pretend to be King Henry when Hal was preparing to face his father was a way to exemplify Hal's search for a rolemodel in all of the wrong places. By having Falstaff take on the role of his father, Hal is putting Falstaff in a position to be a role model. Falstaff falls very short, and only praises himself rather than preparing Hal to take on his responsibilities. Hal rebels from his life as prince by associating with the pub crawlers and looking at them as role models, but he still cannot escape his duty which ties him to the court.
Response to Kylee's question:
I agree that Hal hangs out with Falstaff to heighten his own character. He can feel better about himself knowing that he isn't like Falstaff. I think the Prince is fooling everyone; really he knows everything that is going on in his kingdom and is developing his character as a prince in secret. He spends time in pubs, like Kylee said, so that when he becomes king he can surprise everyone with his total character turnaround. He also spends time in pubs to get to know everyone in the kingdom, not just the courtiers. Hal is learning how to become a good king by practicing on the pub crawlers.
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