- Henry of Lancaster, born Henry of Bolingbroke, became Henry IV through some lucky odds and foolish mistakes made by Richard II. ... - Henry IV, parts I and II dramatize much of Hal's carousing and his close relationship with the fat, jolly drunkard, Falstaff. Falstaff is much older than Hal and takes to Hal as a bit of a father, perhaps to replace the anxious king who did not understand his son's traits or friends. ... This dramatically changes once Henry IV dies. Henry V claims that "Hal" was just an act, a time to enjoy himself and get to know the people, and that he ...

• Word Count: 565
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

When his father Henry IV dies, he is plunged into kinghood. ... In order to understand the connection that Henry has to some characters in the novel, we have to go back to Henry IV. In Henry IV, King Henry is Prince Hal; a rambunctious youth that hangs out with, Pistol, Nym, and Bardolph, the lowest of common folk and has fun. ... But when Hal becomes king, he has to stop hanging around with him and others to take his role as king, rejecting Falstaff and leaving his old friends. Now in Henry V, Falstaff is deathly ill because "the King has killed is heart," according to the Hostess (Act II, ii...

• Word Count: 850
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School