Honor and Redemption

           The theme of redemption has a strong current throughout Henry IV Part, most notably with the character of Prince Hal and his rise from the lowly, ignoble prince to the worthy and honorable King of England. But the man who competes with him for the throne, Hotspur, also goes on a quest for redemption and to claim the honor of being king. But in a more general sense, Hotspurs quest for redemption is more about external redemption, like regaining social status through honorm while Prince Hal's rise to the throne is comes from his attempts to become a good king and so his redemption is more about internal changes. Given that Prince Hal defeats Hotpsur at the end of the play, it seems Shakespeare is suggesting throughout the whole of the play that true redemption comes from an effort to grow as a person, not simply a desire to regain honor. For example, when Hotspur talks about honor and redemption he says, "By heaven, methinks it were an easy leap, / To pluck bright honour from the pale-faced moon, / Or dive into the bottom of the deep, / Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, / And pluck up drowned honour by the locks; / So he that doth redeem her thence might wear / Without corrival, all her dignities:  / But out upon this half-faced fellowship!" (1.3 532 - 539). Notice how often honor is referenced when Hotspur talks about redeeming himself. He talks about how redemption is gained by plucking up a drowned honor, not actually changing anything about himself that led to the loss of honor. Compare that to Prince Hal, who says to the audience after he exhibits conduct typically unbecoming of a prince in Act 1, " And like bright metal on a sullen ground / My reformation, glittering o'er my fault, / Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes / Than that which hath no foil to set it off. / I'll so offend to make offence a skill; / Redeeming time when men think least I will" (1.2 315 - 320). Hal's prediction of his redemption is about showing people he has changed and sharpening his skills of offending people. While both rivals suggest that redemption has to do with reclaiming social status, Hal's has a stronger emphasis on showing people his true character, while Hotspur seems only to care about honor. Also earlier in the soliloquy by Hal, he compares his honor and redemption to the sun being blocked by the clouds (1.1 300 - 306), whereas Hotspur compares it as something to be taken like an object. These mirrored metaphors tell us that Hal believes that honor and redemption are solely products of how you are viewed by people and that there are two components to redemption, an internal component and an external component (Hal is the shining and brilliant sun (internal) and he just needs people to see him (external) to be honored). Whereas Hotspur's metaphor about honor and the moon suggests that he believes that honor and redemption are things to be won and that there is no internal component. Then these two rivals go on to clash and by Hal's victory it would suggest that the play and Shakespeare are suggesting that Hal's viewpoint of honor and redemption (that it requires internal growth and change and then people need to recognize it) is the correct one.