3/16/2024 0 Comments King henry iv part 1 act 3 scene 1![]() ![]() At that time, the king himself was like young Percy, who, no older than Prince Hal, commands "ancient lords and reverend bishops" into battle and has won "never-dying honour" by capturing the renowned Douglas. He especially sees in his son the same fatal weaknesses which led to Richard II's downfall. If the king himself had chosen, as Hal has done, to cheapen himself in "vulgar company," he never would have won the allegiance of Englishmen. Hal has absented himself from councils of state, letting his younger brother take his place. The king voices his deep concern at considerable length. Hal does not claim to be blameless, but he states that busybodies and scandalmongers have exaggerated accounts of his behavior. The king seems to believe that Hal's dereliction may be evidence of God's punishment for "some displeasing service" he (the king) has done. He passionately censures the heir-apparent for "inordinate and low desires" and for indulging in "such barren pleasures" in the company of such "rude" individuals (12-14), ignoring his status and obligations as a prince. At the palace in London, Prince Hal appears before his father, who dismisses members of his court so that he can speak alone to his son. ![]()
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