RebeccaGerman

DavisGoff
December12,2012

RedemptioninTheHistoryPlays

IntheWilliamShakespearehistoryplays,TheHistoryofHenrytheFourth,The
SecondPartofHenrytheFourth,andTheLifeofHenrytheFifth,honour,guilt,and
redemptionaremajorthemes.Thetitlecharacters,KingHenryIVandPrinceHal(laterto
becomeHenryV)carryfeelingsofguiltandadesireforredemptionthroughouttheplays.
Bothofthemlookforredemptioninbattleandinactsofpiety.Inallthreeplays,warand
deathandpietyareusedasameansofhonourandredemption,eitherfromdivinejudgmentor
humanjudgment,inordertoshowhow,withintheplay,redemptionmaybesoughtthrough
pietybutisultimatelyfoundindeath.
BothKingHenryIVandPrinceHallookforhonourandredemptionprimarilyin
battle,andthisisacommonthoughtformanyofthecharacters.InHenrytheFourth,battleis
putaheadofnearlyeverythingasagaugeofhonourandmasculinity.Itismentionedinthe
Introductionthatmen,riskedbecomingeffeminatethatis,likeawomaninplacingdesire
abovereason,especiallyifthatdesirekeptamanfromperforminghispublicduties,suchas
goingtowar.(Howard,1182)
InHenrytheFourth,PrinceHalisseekingredemptioninhisfatherseyes.King
HenrydismissesHalasbeingdishonourableandunfitforthethronebecauseofhis

associationwiththecommonersinEastcheapandhisneglectofmilitaryduties.Hal,who
spendshistimeatthetavernplayingpracticaljokes,iscomparedbyhisfathertoHotspur,
who,despitebeingthesameageasHal,iswellknownformanymilitarysuccesses:

Hedothfillfieldswithharnessintherealm
Turnsheadagainstthelionsarmedjaws,
And,beingnomoreindepttoyearsthanthou,
Leadsancientlordsandreverendbishopson
Tobloodybattles,andtobruisingarms.(3.2.101105)
Thoughnotseekingredemption,Hotspurispresentedasoneofthemorechivalrous
charactersoftheplaybecauseofhismilitaryprowess,whichestablishesthedirectconnection
betweenbattleandhonourintheplay.Heisdescribedasbeing,animpassioned
embodimentofmedievalchivalry,eageraboveallforhonourandforglorytobewonin
battle.(Howard,1177)aswellasamanwhoprizeshismasculinityandthepublichonourto
bewoninbattle.HeisalsothedramaticfoiltoHalandthepersontowhomKingHenry
judgeshissonagainst.WhentalkingwiththeEarlofWestmorland,KingHenryIVexpresses
envyandadmirationforHotspur:

InenvythatmylordNorthumberland
Shouldbethefathertosobestason
Asonwhoisthethemeofhonourstongue,
Amongstagrovetheverystraightestplant,
WhoissweetFortunesminionandherpride(1.1.7882)
HewishesthatHotspurwerehisownson,ratherthanPrinceHal.

KingHenryseesHotspurasbeinghonourableandthussuperiortoPrinceHalbecause
ofhismilitaryexperience,evenincludingHotspurscurrentrebellionagainsttheKinghimself
asproofofhissuperiority.HesaysthatHotspurismoresuitedtothethronebecauseofhis
experienceinbattle:

Nowbymyscepter,andmysoultoboot,
Hehathmoreworthyinteresttothestate
Thanthou,theshadowofsuccession:
For,ofnoright,norcolourliketoright,
Hedothfillfieldswithharnessintherealm(3.2.97101)
KingHenryIVcreatesasituationwheretheonlywayPrinceHalcanredeemhimselftohis
fatheristoprovehisownmilitaryprowess.

WealsoseebattleasawayofredeemingoneselfinTheSecondPartofHenrythe
Fourth.Northumberlandisseekingredemption,fromhisownselfjudgment,fornotgoingto
theBattleofShrewsbury.HetellsLadyNorthumberlandandLadyPercythatheplanstojoin
therebellion.Bothwomen,especiallyLadyPercy,whohasjustlostherhusbandtowar,are
opposedtoNorthumberlandsplan.Butheexplainstothemthatafteravoidingthebattleat
Shrewsbury,goingtobattleistheonlywaythathecangethishonourback,Alas,sweet
wife,myhonourisatpawn,and,butmygoing,nothingcanredeemit.(2.3.78)But,inthe
end,heispersuadedbyLadyPercytogotoScotlandinstead.Becausehenevergoestobattle,
Northumberlandneverfindsredemption.

But,incontrast,PrinceHalistheonlyonetofindredemption.Inresponsetohis
fatherschallenge,PrinceHalvowstoredeemhimselfinbattleagainstHotspur:

WhenIwillwearagarmentallofblood,
Andstainmyfavoursinabloodymask,
Which,washedaway,shallscourmyshamewithit.
Andthatshallbetheday,wheneeritlights,
Thatthissamechildofhonourandrenown,
ThisgallantHotspur,thisallpraisedknight,
AndyourunthoughtofHarrychancetomeet.(3.2.135141)
Here,weseebattleanddeathinreferencetobeingcleansing,inthiscase,ofPrinceHals
shame.
AttheBattleofShrewsbury,PrinceHalredeemshimselfwhenhesaveshisfathers
lifeandkillsHotspur.BykillingHotspur,PrinceHalphysicallytakesthehonourthatHotspur
holdsforhimself:

IllmakeitgreaterereIpartfromthee,
Andallthebuddinghonoursonthycrest
Illcroptomakeagarlandformyhead.(5.4.7072)
HerewegetaclearimageofHaltakingHotspurshonourandtransformingitintohisown,a
garlandbeingasignofhonour.Hotspurcontinuesthisthoughtashedies:

OHarry,thouhastrobbedmeofmyyouth.
Ibetterbrookthelossofbrittlelife
Thanthoseproudtitlesthouhastwonofme.(5.4.7678)
PrinceHalalsoredeemshimselfwhenhesavesKingHenryIVfromDouglas:

Stayandbreatheawhile.
Thouhastredeemedthylostopinion,
Andshowedthoumakstsometenderofmylife,
Inthisfairrescuethouhastbroughttome.(5.4.4649)
Thisissignificantnotonlybecausehesaveshisfatherslife,butalsobecauseinhisspeech
comparingPrinceHaltoHotspur,KingHenryIVpraisedHotspurforhavingfacedDouglas:

Whatneverdyinghonourhathhego
AgainstrenownedDouglas!whosehighdeed,
Whosehotincursionsandgreatnameinarms,
Holdsfromallsoldierschiefmajority
Andmilitarytitlecapital
ThroughallthekingdomsthatacknowledgeChrist.(3.2.106111)
BysurpassingpeoplewhoKingHenryIVheldrespectforinbattle,PrinceHalproveshis
worthtohim,therebyredeeminghimselfintheeyesofhisfather.

KingHenryIVseeksredemption,intheeyesofGod,inbattle,asanactofpiety.In
TheTragedyofRichardtheSecond,afterusurpingthethronefromRichardIIandhearingof
Richardbeingkilledinhisname,Henryvowsto,makeavoyagetotheHolyLandtowash
[Richards]bloodofffrom[his]guiltyhand.(5.6.4950)HenryplansaCrusadetotheHoly
LandasanactofpenitenceforhisguiltoverRichardsdeathandofhisownactof
usurpation:

Bywhatbypathsandindirectcrookdways
Imetthiscrown;andImyselfknowwell

Howtroublesomeitsatuponmydead.

HowIcamebythecrown,OGodforgive,
Andgrantitmaywiththeeintruepeacelive!(4.3.312314,346347)
ButKingHenryIVdiesbeforeheisabletofulfillhiswish:

Ithathbeenprophesiedtomemanyyears
IshouldnotdiebutinJerusalem,
WhichvainlyIsupposedtheHolyLand;(4.3.364367)
LikeNorthumberland,Henrydoesntgotobattleandsoneverfindsredemptionforhimself.
But,bydying,KingHenrypassesthecrownontoPrinceHallthroughinheritance,returning
legitimacytothecrown,thusredeemingit:

Andnowmydeath
Changesthemood,forwhatinmewaspurchased
Fallsupontheeinamorefairersort,
Sothouthegarlandwearstsuccessively.(4.3.326329)
ThoughhesoughttoredeemhimselfhiswholelifeasKingthroughpiety,itwasonlyinhis
deaththatredemptionwasfound.
SolikePrinceHal,KingHenryIVfindsredemptionindeath;Halhavingfoundredemptionin
HotspursdeathandHenryfindingredemptioninhisowndeath.

Bibliography
Howard,JeanE.1HenryIV.TheNortonShakespeare.Ed.JuliaReidhead.
NewYork:W.W.Norton&Company,2008.11771187.Print.
Howard,JeanE.2HenryIV.TheNortonShakespeare.Ed.JuliaReidhead.
NewYork:W.W.Norton&Company,2008.13211332.Print.
Shakespeare,William.TheTragedyofKingRichardtheSecond.The
NortonShakespeare.Ed.JuliaReidhead.NewYork:W.W.Norton&
Company,2008.9831043.Print.
Shakespeare,William.TheHistoryofHenrytheFourth.TheNorton
Shakespeare.Ed.JuliaReidhead.NewYork:W.W.Norton&Company,2008.
11881254.Print.
Shakespeare,William.TheSecondPartofHenrytheFourth.TheNorton
Shakespeare.Ed.JuliaReidhead.NewYork:W.W.Norton&Company,2008.
13331405.Print.

Shakespeare,William.TheLifeofHenrytheFifth.TheNorton
Shakespeare.Ed.JuliaReidhead.NewYork:W.W.Norton&Company,2008.
14821548.Print.