Do you consider that Falstaffs’ relationship has been good for Prince Hal?

HENRY IV PART 1

Q: Do you consider that Falstaffs’ relationship has been good for Prince Hal?

The King feels Prince Hal is disobedient and unfit to be king. ‘Dishonour stain the brow

Of my young Harry,’ King Henry says Prince Hal is dishonourable and has a low opinion of his son. The King is ashamed of being Prince Hals’ father. Prince Hals’ reputation is not very good because of his friendship with Falstaff. ‘That some night-tripping fairy had exchanged

In cradle-clothes our children where they lay,’ the King wishes a fairy had changed his son with Hotspur. This shows how disappointed he is of his son. The King wants Prince Hal to be like Hotspur who is honourable, noble and is regarded highly by the King.

In the first tavern scene we see Prince Hal relationship with Falstaff. ‘Fat-witted,’ Prince Hal makes jokes about Falstaff being fat and his lifestyle. Prince Hal enjoys joking with Falstaff. ‘Leaping houses,’ Falstaff goes to brothels in his spare time. This is not the type of person the Prince should socialise with. ‘Take purses,’ Falstaff is a thief and is proud to be a criminal. The Prince is the friend of a criminal who is proud of what he does. ‘Gentlemen of the shade,’ Falstaff thinks he is noble even though he is a criminal. The Prince and Falstaff talk about robberies instead of the rebellion in Wales or the defiance of Hotspur. ‘Do not thou

when thou art king hang a thief,’ Falstaff asks the Prince not to hang thieves when he is king because he is a thief. ‘Thou shalt have the hanging of thieves,’ Prince Hal makes a joke of Falstaff for fun. Falstaff thinks he will be made a judge but Prince Hal says he will be the hangman. Prince Hal is joking and enjoying himself with Falstaff at the tavern. ‘Corrupt a saint,’ Falstaff accuses Prince Hal of corrupting him and leading him to a life a crime. Falstaff makes the Prince laugh a lot by saying he will reform but the Prince knows it will never happen. ‘Where shall we take purses tomorrow,’ Prince Hal disregards what Falstaff has said on reforming by asking him where he wants to rob. ‘Pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings,’ they have planned to rob innocent pilgrims. This is not the type of thing the Prince should be involved in so I think Falstaff is not the ideal friend for Prince Hal. Prince Hal should not be at the tavern but at the court. ‘Thy place in Council thou hast rudely lost,

Which by thy younger brother is supplied,’ the Prince has not been attending the court and has not been carrying out his duties. His younger brother, Lancaster, has been carrying out Prince Hals’ duties. This shows us that Prince Hal would rather be at the tavern with Falstaff than at the court discussing important issues. I feel Falstaff is a distraction to Prince Hal because the Prince is not attending the court and instead goes to the tavern.

Prince Hal was involved in the robbery at Gads’Hill just to gain the respect of his friends and to make ...

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Prince Hal was involved in the robbery at Gads’Hill just to gain the respect of his friends and to make a fool of Falstaff. The Prince is going to great lengths just to have fun. He is involving himself in crime just to make a joke of Falstaff. I feel that Falstaff is not a fit companion for the Prince because the Prince is doing anything to have a laugh. The Prince and Poins are playing a joke on Francis. ‘Laugh a little,’ the Prince can’t wait to make a joke of Falstaff so he passes time by making a joke of Francis. ‘Francis,’ Poins is constantly calling him and interrupting him but them Prince keeps calling Francis back. ‘Away, you rogue,’ the Prince scolds Francis for not answering Poins. Then both Prince Hal and Poins call for Francis at the same time leaving him bewildered. The Prince shows us that he is not fit to be king because he wants to make jokes about people. Falstaff treats the Hostess with no respect and takes her for granted. ‘Dowlas, filthy dowlas. I had given them away

to bakers' wives,’ the Hostess had Falstaff dozen shirts and Falstaff gave them away to bakers’ wives because they were of poor quality. ‘Four-and-twenty pound,’ Falstaff has borrowed many from the Hostess and has not paid it back. He has not even paid his bills at the tavern. Falstaff shows us how inconsiderate he is of the Hostess. ‘Beast,’ Falstaff calls the Hostess a beast even though she has loaned him some money and given him shirts. I feel Falstaff only looks out for himself which shows us that he is not fit to be Prince Hals’ companion.

Falstaff gathers a hideous army so he can make money. ‘Misused the King’s press,’ Falstaff has been forcing people to fight in the battle. Falstaff has been going to rich people and telling them either to fight in the battle or pay him some money. ‘Three hundred odd pounds,’ Falstaff has made a considerable amount of money by forcing people to pay or fight. ‘Slaves as ragged as Lazarus,’ Falstaff says his army looks hideous and filthy. He has gathered a disgraceful army to fight under the king. ‘Food for powder, they’ll fill a pit as well as better,’ Falstaff is saying that he does not expect his army to live and that they will fill a pit very well. This shows us that Falstaff is inconsiderate and does not care about his army being killed because he has made three hundred pounds. He does not care that they will die even though he is responsible for their deaths. He says it as a joke which makes you feel that Falstaff is not a good companion for Prince Hal.

In Prince Hals’ soliloquy we see that the Prince is not really affected by what Falstaff has to say. ‘I know you all,’ this shows us that Prince Hal is not influenced by Falstaff. Prince Hal is aware of Falstaffs’ intolerable behaviour and so I feel that Falstaff can be Prince Hals’ friend. ‘Contagious clouds,’ Prince Hal is saying that because he is friends are ruing his reputation. ‘Imitate the sun,’ the Prince says he is like the sun being covered by clouds. He feels that his friends are blocking his greatness. ‘Foul and ugly mists,’ the Prince says his friends will be rejected and that he will not associate himself with them. ‘Loose behaviour I throw off,’ Prince Hal is saying that he will reform and get the support of everyone. ‘Bright metal on sullen ground,’ Prince Hal gives us an image of his reformation sparkling over his dissolute behaviour. ‘Glittering o’er my fault,’ Prince Hal is saying no one will remember his disgraceful youth because his reformation will be so great. This shows us Prince Hal has planned for the future and that Falstaff has not affected him.

By being friends with Falstaff, Prince Hal is able to socialise with the common people and get their support. ‘Call them by their Christian

names,’ Prince Hal calls the common people by their Christian names. This shows us that the Prince is becoming friends with all types of people and it shows us he will be a better king than his father. Prince Hal goes to the cellar and drinks with the lowest people in society. ‘No proud Jack like Falstaff,’ Prince Hal says not even Falstaff goes and drinks in the cellars. This shows the Prince is going to great lengths by trying to gain the support of the public. I think the Prince can be friends with Falstaff because the Prince can learn how common people live and what they need.

Falstaff offers the Prince fun and enjoyment in his defence speech. Falstaff points out he bring fun and laughter into the Princes’ life because he is the epitome of fun. ‘Sack and sugar

be a fault,’ Falstaff says if drinking sack is a crime then he should be punished. ‘Old and merry to be a

sin,’ Falstaff is saying if you have fun and enjoy yourself there is nothing wrong with that and he should not be banished. ‘Banish plump Jack, and banish all the world,’ Falstaff says that if you banish him you will banish all the fun and enjoyment from Prince Hals’ life. This is true because he is the embodiment of fun and if you banish him you banish all the fun and laughter is banished. Without Falstaff the world will boring and unexciting. Hotspur talks about honour all the time and his life revolves around obtaining honour. His life is boring and too serious and has no enjoyment. Falstaff brings excitement into the lives of people so I feel his friendship is good for Prince Hal but Falstaff has some bad qualities which makes you feel he is not the ideal friend for Prince Hal.