Hotspur is an aggressive, short-tempered character. He always says what he thinks, no matter who is around, and this characteristic tends often to get him into hot water. “He… forbad my tongue to speak of Mortimer, but I will find him when he lies asleep and in his ear I’ll holla “Mortimer!” he says in one of his many rants about the King. Hal is almost the exact opposite of Hotspur in this respect, he is very laid-back, and keeps his thoughts to himself rather than blurting them out like Hotspur. When asked if he was afraid of Glendower and the rebels, he replies nonchalantly “Not a whit i’faith”, showing his relaxed manner. Hal is not as flippant with his remarks as Hotspur. He keeps himself to himself. This is made clear to the audience when he reveals in an aside that his mixing with disreputable people is a scheming plan to eventually glorify himself when he turns over a new leaf. He reveals this quite late in the play, which is done on purpose to show that he has been keeping it to himself for quite a while, giving the audience the impression that he is a scheming and calculating person.
Hotspur is obsessed with war and politics, whereas at the start of the play it seems like Hal couldn’t care less. “I love thee not; I care not for thee Kate… when I am a-horseback I will swear that I love thee infinitely” says Hotspur, who we know loves Kate very much, but when there is a battle approaching he doesn’t care about anything else. Although at the start of the play Hal seems disinterested in war and politics, it later emerges that he is almost as fanatical about it as Hotspur.
Hal, when he insults people, does it behind their back, and is much more subtle than Hotspur. In Act 2 Scene 4 Hal has a dig at Hotspur while laughing and joking in the tavern, whereas Hotspur criticises the King while he is just meters away from him in Act 1 Scene 3. “He… forbad my tongue to speak of Mortimer, but I will find him when he lies asleep and in his ear I’ll holla “Mortimer!” he rants.
Hotspur often mentions God’s name in his speeches. “And God defend but still I should stand so” he says at one point in the play, and “Welcome, Sir Walter Blunt; and would to God you were of our determination!” he says at another time. Frequent mention of God's name was an important part of public rhetoric, in contrast to today’s society where faith in God is no longer an essential part of the political or judicial process. Harry does not mention God as often, perhaps hinting at either a lack of faith or a lack of knowledge and experience of rhetoric. This comparison demonstrates how Hal has much to learn about being a successful speaker, and in a broader sense about life as a noble in general, whereas Hotspur seems to have already picked the idea up.
Hotspur is very disorganised, and doesn’t plan ahead. He thinks on the spot, and has a tendency to let himself down as he sometimes makes poor decisions when he is under pressure. “A plague upon it! I have forgot the map” he exclaims, when the whole point of the meeting he was attending was to use the map to divide up land. Hal is more of a forward-thinker, as proved with his long-term plan to make people disapprove of him and then to change his ways in the future. Hal controls events himself, whereas Hotspur lets his temper control events, and lets himself be egged on by crafty people like his uncle Worcester. An example of how easy Hotspur is to manipulate is the way he is subtly encouraged by Worcester to fall out with the king. Hotspur uses lots of expletives and exclamations, whereas Hal uses much more relaxed language most of the time.
A two-faced side of Hostpur emerges in Act 4 Scene 3, where he acts very warmly towards the enemy’s messenger. “Welcome, Sir Walter Blunt… some of us love you well, and even those some envy your great deservings and good name.” he says. Hal is also two-faced in a way, because he mixes with dishonourable people even though he doesn’t even want to. Of course he pretends to want to when he is around them.
Both Hal and Hotspur are admired by people on the opposite sides to them. In Act 4 Scene 1 Vernon compares Hal to the Gods, using lots of philosophical metaphors, much to Hotspur’s displeasure. “Rise from the ground like feathered Mercury” he proclaims in a description of Hal. The King shows his respect for Hotspur as well by calling him “Mars in swaddling clothes”. They are both respected by their enemies, and both seem to be unappreciated by their own sides.
So as you can see, although Hal and Hotspur at first seem like very contrasting characters, as the play progresses you begin to notice more and more similarities between them.
