Henry Iv Essay

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Discuss the relationship between Hal and Falstaff; what are the positive and negative aspects of it and how do these effect events in the play? The relationship between Hal and Falstaff show in Henry IV both demonstrate positive and negative aspects which have an impactful effect on the outcome of the play. Shakespeare utilizes their relationship to breakdown the amount of sophisticated events that occur through comedy to ease the tension. Some other aspects of Hal’s and Falstaff’s relationship are that they happy to live a carefree lifestyle and that there is strong bond of trust and loyalty between them. These aspects help the reader understand the type of characters that are. A key important aspect in their relationship is the added presence of comedy. Comedy is expressed through the countless insulting threats and jokes that both Hal and Falstaff make at each other such as Hal calling Falstaff a “horse-back-breaker” and Falstaff calling Hal an “elf-skin”. The threats on each other are needed in this play to deconstruct all of the important events involving King Henry and Hotspur in relation to the throne. The comedy in the first half of the play helps ease the reader in taking in the information about Hotspur’s plan to get the throne back to Mortimer. Despite Hal’s turning point in his meeting with Henry, comedy is still used to show how much Hal as developed as a character from his relationship with Falstaff. Hal does become more serious in his view of Hotspur however his positive relationship with Falstaff creates another ally to boost his chances of winning. “.....I would it had been of horse. Where shall I find one that can steal well? O, for a fine thief of the age of two and twenty or thereabouts! I am heinously unprovided. Well, God be thanked for these rebels. They offend none but the virtuous. I laud them; I praise them....” Falstaff’s incapabilities
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