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Henry IV Act 2 Scene 2

In Act 2 Scene 2 of Henry IV, Prince Hal and Poins plot to ambush Falstaff and his companions by hiding Falstaff's horse, leading to Falstaff's angry outbursts. The scene highlights the theme of honor, as Falstaff's claims of bravery are undermined by his cowardice during the ambush. Ultimately, Hal and Poins successfully rob Falstaff and his friends, exposing their dishonorable nature.

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61 views2 pages

Henry IV Act 2 Scene 2

In Act 2 Scene 2 of Henry IV, Prince Hal and Poins plot to ambush Falstaff and his companions by hiding Falstaff's horse, leading to Falstaff's angry outbursts. The scene highlights the theme of honor, as Falstaff's claims of bravery are undermined by his cowardice during the ambush. Ultimately, Hal and Poins successfully rob Falstaff and his friends, exposing their dishonorable nature.

Uploaded by

fangtaitai.sydney
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Henry IV

Act 2 Scene 2

Summary

Prince Hal and Poins enter on a road at Gads Hill with Bardolph and Peto following
a bit behind. Poins tells Prince Hal that he’s hidden Falstaff’s horse and thrown
Falstaff into a rage. Prince Hal and Poins conceal themselves. Falstaff enters shouting
angrily at Poins for his horse. He declares that Poins must have drugged him to
bewitch him into keeping his company since Falstaff has hated Poins for twenty-two
years. Falstaff curses all his friends, lamenting that “thieves cannot be true one to
another!” Prince Hal emerges and refuses to help Falstaff find his horse. Falstaff tells
Hal to “hang thyself in thine own heir-apparent garters.”
Analysis
This act’s virtuosic play on appearances springs into action: first, Poins conceals
Falstaff’s horse, then he and Hal conceal themselves, then Falstaff claims that Poins
has drugged him because he doesn’t have any of the friendly feelings for Poins that
he sometimes appears to have. Falstaff’s lament ironizes the theme of honor by
proposing an honor code between (dishonorable) thieves.

Summary

Gadshill enters and Poins, Bardolph, and Peto come forward. Gadshill alerts everyone
that there’s royal money being delivered down this hill towards the royal
exchequer. Prince Hal orders the men into position to ambush travelers.
When Falstaff worries that they might themselves get robbed, Prince Hal calls him a
coward. Falstaff replies that he is no coward, but Prince Hal says that remains to be
seen. Poins points Falstaff to his horse and exits with Hal.
Analysis
Prince Hal affects the appearance of allying himself with his friends (when he is
secretly planning to rob them with Poins). Falstaff claims that he is honorable just
because he says he is, but Hal insists that honor can only be acquired through actions,
that Falstaff must prove himself honorable through his behavior.

Summary
The travellers enter and Falstaff, Gadshill, Bardolph, and Peto stop them,
demanding money. They drive the travellers offstage. Prince Hal and Poins enter in
disguises, prepared, as Prince Hal says, to “rob the thieves” for a good joke. They
hide. Falstaff, Gadshill, Bardolph, and Peto re-enter, with Falstaff declaring Prince
Hal and Poins “arrant cowards.” As they’re dividing the loot, Prince Hal and Poins
ambush and rob them easily. Falstaff and the others run off, surrendering with hardly
a fight. Prince Hal and Poins exit, pleased with themselves.
Analysis
As they predicted, Prince Hal and Poins are easily able to rob their friends, whose
claims to honorable bravery are revealed by their cowardly actions to be nothing but
hollow language.

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