Tuesday, October 03, 2006

King Henry IV -- Act 5, Scenes 3 and 4

Post a comment about Scene 4 or 5 here if you are a member of the Court, the Rebels, or the Pubcrawlers.

4 Comments:

Blogger Stacie C said...

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During the conversation between Prince Hal and Hotspur, I was shocked at their views of one another. First of all, they respect one another, and Hal considers Hotspur like a star in the same sphere as himself, saying, "I am the Prince of Wales, and think it not, Percy, To share with me in gloy any more. Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere, Nor can one England brook a double reign of Harry Percy and the Prince of Wales" (62-66). They seem to worry more about honor and vanity than they do about the overall state of England, which made me think that they don't truly understand the essense of warfare, and don't care about the welfare of their subjects, only their titles. Later in the same conversation, as Henry Percy lays dying, he accuses Hal of having "robbed me from my youth" (76). Why would Shakespeare have included this since Hotspur was older than Hal, and had spent his youth planning this revolution? Is he in some way jealous that Hal spent his time carousing? Finally, I also felt that Hal's treatment of Hotspur's body was profound, because instead of mutilating or humiliating his enemy, Hal places his scarves over the corpse's face. Why does Hal give Hotspur this final honor, and does he feel that it reconciles his past actions in some way?

Wed Oct 04, 07:35:00 PM 2006  
Blogger Maya R said...

6.
I am focusing on the meeting between Hal and Hotspur. Both men are confident in themselves and somewhat haughty. Hal tells Hotspur: "and think not, Percy, to share with me in glory any more. Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere..." At this point, Hal seems to boast of his position and power to beat Hotspur, however, he is also just claiming his place in the kingdom. Hotspur replies by claiming he is the better "name in arms." Obviously, Prince Hal is the winner of the duel. Historically speaking, he can't die; however, maybe Shakespeare goes to lengths to contrast Hal's and Hotspur's vanity to remark that pride comes before the fall. Hotspur was just too prideful to win this one.

Thu Oct 05, 11:06:00 PM 2006  
Blogger Justin L said...

Response to Act 5 Scene 3:

5) After reading Act 5 Scene 3, there was one main point that I felt needed to be mentioned. The first is the death of Blunt, dressed as a King by Douglas, and the meaning of such an incident on the meaning of the ongoing battle. As the battle opens this scene, Blunt, as King, states that “what is thy name that in battle thus thou crossest me” (5.3.1-2), bringing the reader to the thinking of the King, which is that why in the world would these people risk everything they have to fight the King? Who do they think they are? The response to this statement is the very epitome of what the rebel’s camp thinks about the purpose of this war, that they do “haunt thee in the battle” (5.3.5). Growing from the passion built by Hotspur in a previous chapter, this rude response to the King, Blunt acting, shows not only the rebel’s passion for this fight, but that his passion has spread among his follower’s, creating an army of mad soldiers, who lack any sense of respect to the King, even stating that a sword shall end him unless he becomes a prisoner of war (5.3.11). This statement utterly shocked me because it clearly proved the radicalism that is being embraced by the rebels in their fight against the established King of England. Beyond that, Douglas actually kills the King, who was portrayed by Blunt, setting in stone the atmosphere that this fight will occur in, which is that one can kill anyone, as long as they have wronged you, even the King. No one is immune from this fight. However, in the midst of this radicalism, Douglas does not notice that he did not kill the King, but only Blunt, a mere actor portraying the King, foreshadowing the downfall of the rebel’s cause. This is based upon the idea that their psychological state is so radical at this point, that no positive reaction can form out of such. Upon Hotspur’s entry, he recognizes that the murdered Blunt is Blunt and not the King, showing that Hotspur has lowered his radical thinking, yet transferred it on to those around him, creating an environment that puts the moment’s feelings above the long term goals of the movement. They are killing for the sake of it at this point, as evidenced by Douglas’s statement that “I will kill of his coats” (5.3.27). A movement can not live long at this point, showing the audience that he rebels will loose the battle not out of a lack of passion, but out of a lack of true commitment and the mob mentality, that was surprisingly common for that time period. Yet, in the end, the radicalism of the rebels was proven, by the actions that they continued to take throughout the rest of the scene, ultimately leading to the rebel’s downfall.

Thu Oct 05, 11:10:00 PM 2006  
Blogger Melissa said...

Act V Scene 4

2. This scene pinpoints Hal's transormation into an honorable man, willing to fight and be responsible on his own. Of course, he has talked about breaking free and becoming the man his father wanted him to be before in the play, and there have previously been many turning points for him, for instance, his speech in act v scene 1 recognizing Hotspur and breaking from his father, and the third act, where he finally assumes a position to serve his father; yet, this scene is pivotal, and ground-breaking for Hal. He finally has to prove his loyalty, courage, and strength to his father and his men, and he steps up to the plate bravely in the scene. He proves himself magnificently as he defends his father from the bloody killer, Douglas, and he finally confronts Hotspur and defeats him as well. It is almost a final resolution for Hal, as he deals with both events. The tension between him and his father is finally released when the king, after being saved says, "Thou hast redeemed thy lost opinion,/And showed thou mak'st some tender of my life" (47-48), showing a compassion and love for Harry we have not seen before in this play. Also, Hal rids of the looming Hotspur once and for all, not only doing his country justice, but growing himself as a man.

Sat Oct 07, 04:19:00 PM 2006  

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