William Shakespeare: Comedies, Histories, and Poems Essay: Henry IV, Part One 1300 words and 5 quotations – MINIMUM Henry IV, Part 1 [1596-1597]: This play has, as a major theme, the preparation and education of Prince Hal to become King Henry V. Instrumental in this process is Hals rejection of his father [Henry IV] the king. He initially replaces the king with the new father figure of Sir John Falstaff. Ultimately, however, (actually takes place in Henry IV, Part Two) he rejects Falstaff and turns from the wildness of his youth. In this essay 1) compare the influence of Henry IV, Falstaff, and his rival, Henry Percy (Hotspur) on the young prince. What does he learn from each of them? In what ways does he come to surpass them all? 2) Will Hal, as a combination of Henriadic and Falstaffian and Percian influences, be a better ruler than his father?
