The Maturation of Henry V
Uploaded by spootyhead on Mar 04, 2007
The Maturation of Henry V
Growing up is a part of life, and as people grow, they mature. Although some must mature more than others, the process does eventually take place. The process doesn’t take place automatically though. There are decisions that must be made and the outcomes of these decisions determine the speed of the maturation process. In the stories of Henry I, part I, and Henry V, there is a young prince named Harry that has a lot of growing up to do, but he eventually develops into the glorious King Henry V.
Young Prince Harry, also called Prince Hal, grows up in the royal family learning right from wrong and the responsibilities of being prince, but when he becomes the age of a modern day teenager, he starts to go astray. He spends the majority of his time hanging out at a local tavern drinking and chasing women. When his friends ask him to participate in a robbery, he starts to say no by saying, “Who, I rob? I a thief? Not I, by my faith,” (1.2.142) but after some convincing he says, “Well then, once in my days I’ll be a madcap” (1.2.146). He knows what he should and should not do, but he decides to have fun instead of choosing right. While he is taking time to enjoy life, he knows that one day he will have to stop and get serious. He tells one of his friends, “My reformation, glitt’ring o’er my fault,/ Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes/ Than that which hath no foil to set it off” (1.2.217-219).
Prince Hal does finally get the chance to get serious when his father, King Henry IV, calls him to the castle to tell him about a group of rebels, led by Henry Percy, that have been gathering to overthrow the thrown. Not only does his father tell him about the rebellion, but he also scolds him boldly about the type of lifestyle Hal has been living. This opportunity is Hal’s moment of truth. He decides that he wants to change and he tells his father, “I will redeem all this on Percy’s head” (3.2.132). This is the first big step in his maturing process.
The second step comes later in the story when the battle is...