The Passing of the Crown by Shakespeares Henries Essay -- Henry IV He

The Passing of the Crown by Shakespeares Henries In his histories from Richard II through atomic number 1 V to Richard III, Shakespeare depicts the English monarchy as a game between family and friends of vying for a gold tintinnabulation -- the crown. Shakespeare gives his reader a central metaphor through which to see this equation in force Henry IV part one. The prank Prince Hal, later King Henry V, and his friend, Poins, round on their friends, particularly Falstaff, parallels the plots focal passing of the crown. In the first act, Poins outlines his plan to play a prank on Falstaff and their other friends to Prince Hal, They Falstaff and others will adventure upon the exploit of stealing money from travelers themselves, which they shall have no sooner achieved but well set upon them (I.ii.169-71). This on the nose represents the larger action that takes place in this same piece. King Henry IV, previously Bolingbroke, usurped the crown from King Richard II in Shakespeares play of that title, and now, in this King Henry Hotspur is trying to take from Bolingbroke, the name he contemptuously insists on using for the king, the crown which the king rightfully stole already. Hals prank can, in fact, be seen as the summarizing play within the play so popular in Elizabethan drama. Not only does Hals light- keyted game sum up the events of this history, it also works as a microcosm of the events in King Richard III, a tragedy wherein Richard steals the throne from his brothers, Edward and George, who, in turn, stole it from Henry VI. The metaphor becomes even more obviously applicable when we hear Falstaffs self-defense for giving up the stolen money so easily, Was it for me to kill the heir apparent?... ...taining the position and participating in its ceremonies is a game. However, I dont think this room that the role is an impossible one to actually possess, that its always simply an unreachable construct that everyone pretends a t. I think it just mover that Shakespeare sees the crown as not being as serious a thing to possess as is commonly thought. Its a joke, a gag, a prank, always a gold ring made of cardboard. Where theres a kingdom for a stage, so too can there be a stage for a kingdom (Henry V, prologue line 3). Being King means playing. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Henry IV part one. Ed. P. H. Davison, New York Penguin Books, 1996. Shakespeare, William. Henry IV part two. Ed. P. H. Davison, New York Penguin Books, 1997. Shakespeare, William. Henry V. Ed. A. R. Humphreys, New York Penguin Books, 1996.