The Concept Of “Honor” In Shakespeare’s King Henry

The Concept of Honor in Shakespeares King heat content IV, Part 1

In King Henry IV, Part 1, Shakespeare presents triad different concepts of honor through the characters Hotspur, Falstaff, and Prince Henry. Hotspurs obsession with honor and Falstaffs spare lack of honor serve to show how Prince Henry balances the twain extremes and creates his own concept of honor that allows him to become the epitome of a valiant man. Through these contrasting portrayals, Shakespeare expresses his own opinion on what is honor.
The first glimpse into Hotspurs sense of honor comes from the ability in the form of praise, who claims Hotspur to be the theme of honors vocabulary (1.1.80). Its true that Hotspur is committed to honor, but so oft so that it takes up all of his energy and thoughts. Throughout the constitute we see that this commitment ends up being detrimental. The irony of the kings compliment becomes more and more apparent as the reader begins to see the irrationality in Hotspurs concept of honor.
The moments Hotspur shares with gentlewoman Percy demonstrate his intense obsession with honor. His fixation on his chivalric duties make him unable to think of anything other than basilisks, of cannon, culverin, / Of prisoners ransom, and of soldiers slain, / And all the currents of a heady fight (2.3.53-55).



Lady Percy sees that Hotspurs preoccupation prevents him from sleeping, and she begs him to tell her what weighs so heavily on his mind. But Hotspur completely ignores her, and instead begins to tattle to a servant that has just passed by about war machine matters (2.3.64-72). Hotspurs obsession with honor clouds his judgment and he becomes drunk with pettishness (1.3.129). He is so offended by the king refusing to ransom Mortimer that he will not listen to reason. Since he is so focused on doing the honorable thing, he ends up booster cable himself to his own defeat at Shrewsbury instead of postponing the battle until he is more prepared.
Although there are obvious flaws in...If you want to gear up a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com



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