In King Henry Iv, How Has Shakespeare Portrayed the Similarities and Differences in the Characters of Prince Harry and Hotspur?
Hal and Hotspur are the two most compared characters in Shakespeare’s King Henry IV: Part 1 because of the many similarities and differences that are portrayed by Shakespeare. The audience is presented with many aspects about each character very early on in the play, and it is then that they create expectations which can either be confirmed or contradicted as the play goes on. Shakespeare usually portrays a character through the use of literary and dramatic techniques throughout his work, either subtle or obvious. In this particular text, he has used a range of textual techniques to portray the characteristic of arrogance shared by both, portray Hotspur’s great honour, as well as Hal’s notable dishonour, and the ways that the two contrast.
A similarity that Shakespeare has portrayed between the characters of Hal and Hotspur is that they are both arrogant, and he has done this through the use of dialogue. Hal has been portrayed as being arrogant by Shakespeare in Hal’s soliloquy at the end of act 1 scene 2. He says he will ‘imitate the sun./ who doth permit the base contagious clouds to smother up his beauty from the world,’ and say when he reveals himself he ‘may be more wondered at.’ At the end he adds ‘redeeming time when men think least I will.’ The metaphor that Hal uses in his dialogue to view himself as a sun, whose beauty is masked by clouds, and when he chooses to reveal himself, the world will look at him in awe. The fact that he says he will choose when to reveal himself (‘when men least think I will.’) shows to us that he believes that he is in control of the situation that he is in, and also that he will shine like the sun. He compares himself to the sun, suggesting how highly he thinks of himself, which reinforces his belief in his own ability to turn things around. It is for that reason, through the use of a metaphor in Hal’s dialogue, that Shakespeare has portrayed Hal as being arrogant. Hotspur has also been portrayed as arrogant through the clever
A similarity that Shakespeare has portrayed between the characters of Hal and Hotspur is that they are both arrogant, and he has done this through the use of dialogue. Hal has been portrayed as being arrogant by Shakespeare in Hal’s soliloquy at the end of act 1 scene 2. He says he will ‘imitate the sun./ who doth permit the base contagious clouds to smother up his beauty from the world,’ and say when he reveals himself he ‘may be more wondered at.’ At the end he adds ‘redeeming time when men think least I will.’ The metaphor that Hal uses in his dialogue to view himself as a sun, whose beauty is masked by clouds, and when he chooses to reveal himself, the world will look at him in awe. The fact that he says he will choose when to reveal himself (‘when men least think I will.’) shows to us that he believes that he is in control of the situation that he is in, and also that he will shine like the sun. He compares himself to the sun, suggesting how highly he thinks of himself, which reinforces his belief in his own ability to turn things around. It is for that reason, through the use of a metaphor in Hal’s dialogue, that Shakespeare has portrayed Hal as being arrogant. Hotspur has also been portrayed as arrogant through the clever