Henry IV
Act 5 Scene 4
Summary
In another part of the battlefield, King Henry, Prince Hal, Prince John,
and Westmoreland discuss battle strategy. Hal is wounded and King Henry
wants him to take a break from fighting, but Hal refuses. Prince John leads
Westmoreland out into the fray again and, alone on stage, Hal and his
father marvel at how surprisingly brave and honorable Prince John has
proved himself to be. Hal exits.
Analysis
King Henry continues to demonstrate his intelligent, strategic approach to
the battlefield. Prince John, a minor and totally absent character until now,
gets attention by proving himself to be an honorably courageous warrior.
Summary
Douglas enters and asks King Henry whether he is yet another fake king.
King Henry says he’s sorry that his loyal decoys have been killed.
Swearing he is the real king, King Henry prepares to fight Douglas, who
still believes the king is just another decoy, albeit one whose posture is
particularly kingly.
Analysis
Even though Douglas suspects King Henry is another decoy, something in
the king’s physical carriage suggests his royalty, linking his appearance to
his essence.
Summary
King Henry is wounded fighting Douglas and Prince Hal re-enters to help
defend his father, driving Douglas offstage. Alone on stage, King Henry
tells Hal he has redeemed himself in his father’s eyes by proving that he
loves his father after all. Prince Hal laments that King Henry ever believed
otherwise. King Henry exits.
Analysis
Prince Hal’s actions on the battlefield have fulfilled the promises he spoke
to his father and won honor and respect in the king’s eyes.
Summary
Hotspur enters and confronts Prince Hal, who tells Hotspur that England
isn’t big enough for the two Harrys and prepares to fight. Hotspur
sarcastically exclaims that he wishes Hal’s “name in arms were now as
great as mine!” Hal promises that all of Hotspur’s “budding honors” will
soon belong to him. They fight. Falstaff enters and cheers Hal
on. Douglas enters and fights Falstaff until Falstaff falls. Douglas exits.
Analysis
Prince Hal and Hotspur’s fight marks the climax of the play. Hotspur
remains cocky and proud as ever, certain of his own honor and victory at
Hal’s expense.
Summary
Hotspur falls, wounded, and declares to Prince Hal that his loss of noble
honor “wound[s] my thoughts worse than thy sword my flesh.” He dies.
Prince Hal muses over Hotspur’s corpse, thinking how small it looks
compared to the huge ambitions of Hotspur’s life. He praises Hotspur and
treats his corpse respectfully, thinking that “even in [Hotspur’s] behalf, I’ll
thank myself for doing these fair rites of tenderness.”
Analysis
Hotspur’s dying words demonstrate his life’s dilemma: his obsession with
glory blinded him to practical matters and, caring only about honor, his
disregard for physical safety led him to his death. Prince Hal shows
himself to be an admirably humane warrior, treating Hotspur’s corpse with
respect.
Summary
Prince Hal notices Falstaff’s corpse and laments his friend’s death,
saying that he “could have better spared a better man” and that he will
miss Falstaff deeply. Hal exits.
Analysis
Falstaff is indeed not the “better” man many of the noble, honorable
soldiers are, but Prince Hal loves him dearly.
Summary
Alone on stage, Falstaff rises and declares that he faked his death in
order to escape being killed by Douglas. But the real fakers, he reflects,
are those who don’t play dead for “to die, is to be a counterfeit; for he is
but the counterfeit of a man who hath not the life of a man: but to
counterfeit dying, when a man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but
the true and perfect image of life indeed.” As for courage, he concludes
that “the better part of valor is discretion; in the which better part I have
saved my life.”
Analysis
In another prodigious play on appearances, Falstaff reveals that he was
only pretending to be dead. As always, his agile language is able to twist
conventional truth into something else entirely: he is, his argument
proves, neither a faker nor a coward, for he would only be “counterfeit” if
dead and only cowardly if he hadn’t saved his own life.
Summary
Noticing Hotspur on the ground, Falstaff is frightened, and stabs the
body to make sure Hotspur is really dead. Satisfied, Falstaff slings
Hotspur’s corpse over his shoulder, preparing to tell everyone that he
killed Hotspur himself.
Analysis
Ever the opportunist, Falstaff sees another chance to affect an impressive
appearance of courage and doesn’t hesitate to do so.
Summary
Prince Hal and Prince John enter. At first they’re shocked to see Falstaff
standing and think he might be a ghost. But, hearing Falstaff speak, the
princes realize it is truly him. Falstaff brandishes the corpse on his
shoulder, telling the princes he has killed Hotspur. When Hal balks at the
story, Falstaff swears on his life that he himself delivered Hotspur’s fatal
blow. Hal warmly tells Falstaff to bear the corpse “nobly” and says he’s
happy to go along with his friend’s story “if a lie may do thee grace.”
Analysis
Falstaff’s false appearance of death was convincing enough that the
princes worry he is still dead. Falstaff identifies his true, live self through
his unmistakable speech. Hal’s merry willingness to go along with
Falstaff’s absurd ploy is touching because it indicates that he cares more
about friendship than about personal honor and glory, though it is
important to note that Hal will make a different choice at the end of Henry
IV Part Two.
Summary
Trumpets sound the rebels retreat and Prince Hal and Prince John exit
to go see how many of their soldiers are still living. Falstaff follows them,
saying that, if he is rewarded for Hotspur’s corpse, he’ll lose weight, give
up drinking, and “live cleanly as a nobleman should do.”
Analysis
Falstaff’s promise links appearances and essences—his rotund
drunkenness, he suggests, corresponds to his corruption and, were he to
become a morally upright person, he would also become thin and sober.
