PRINCE JOHN, THE DECEIVER

Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


HENRY IV PART II

by William Shakespeare

Completed: 2022

Rating (X/10): 10

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PRINCE JOHN, THE DECEIVER

In Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part Two, the theme of chivalry continues into its third iteration. First, in Richard II, Henry Bollingbrook violently usurps the throne. Secondly, in Henry IV, Part One, Bollingbrook, now King Henry IV, slaughters the northern rebels who supported him during his rise to power. Furthermore, his oldest son and heir, Prince Hal, is a drunken criminal who mocks chivalry and honor. By the time the audience has progressed to act four, scene two of Henry IV, Part Two, King Henry IV’s second oldest son, Prince John, or John of Lancaster, casts aside all honor and embraces chivalry only in words.

Richard II was a king saturated with vanity, but he was also chivalrous and considered himself as God’s substitute. When Henry Bollingbrook usurped Richard II’s throne, Henry’s concern for God and chivalry was merely a guilty afterthought spurred by the unwarranted assassination of the imprisoned Richard. Henry IV rules firmly and mentions God only in passing on a few occasions. His one-sided peace offering could never have been anything but rejected by the northern rebels. These rebellious men were once Henry’s friends and supporters, but Henry IV slaughtered them for treason and conspiracy. Prince Hal cares nothing for chivalry and openly mocks honor and chivalry in several soliloquies as well as during interactions with his fellow criminal friends.

Shakespeare delays any significant character contribution of Prince John of Lancaster until act four, scene two of Henry IV, Part Two. The scene opens with Prince John confronting the rebel leaders. This is perhaps the most tense and pivotal scene in either parts one or two of Henry IV. Prince John has the King’s army behind him, and the rebel leaders have the rebel army behind themselves. The brilliance of Prince John’s character is that his personality hearkens back to the chivalrous time of Richard II. The audience initially views him as a valiant and honorable character, but the audience soon learns that there is deception veiled behind John’s chivalry. Prince John of Lancaster blasphemously uses God and the Bible to gain the trust of his enemies before betraying their arranged peace agreement. In act four, scene two, John says, “When that your flock, assembled by the bell, encircled you to hear with reverence your exposition on the holy text […]” (Shakespeare 4.2.6-8). Prince John is speaking of the rebel army and requesting of the rebel leaders that their army be disbanded. “ […] discharge your powers unto their several counties, as we will ours: and here, between the armies, let’s drink together and embrace, that all their eyes may bear those tokens home of our restored love and amity” (Shakespeare 4.2.59-64). Here, Prince John has brokered a peace deal between the king’s army and the rebel army. He also alludes to the ancient funeral practice of covering the eyes of the dead with coins as payment to Death for ferrying the soul to the afterlife. In other words, Prince John is sending the quarrel to the afterlife and ending the feud. Prince John gives his word that peace will rule the day as he says, “I give it to you and will maintain my word: and thereupon I drink to your Grace” (Shakespeare 4.2.66-67). Prince John then betrays the rebel leaders and arrests them. Having already disbanded their army, the rebel leaders have no choice but to surrender. In response to their outrage, Prince John says, “I pawn’d thee none: I promised you redress of these same grievances whereof you did complain; which, by mine honour, I will perform with a most Christian care” (Shakespeare 4.2.31-35). Prince John brokered a peace agreement, disbanded the rebel army, arrested the rebel leaders, and sent the rebel leaders to execution, and all of this was done under the afront and banner of Christianity. Whether this was done satirically or genuinely is debatable, and perhaps only Shakespeare himself could tell the audience; however, it is clear that Prince John is the least chivalrous character introduced thus far in Shakespeare’s history plays.

At the end of the play, King Henry IV expresses concern about vanity returning to the throne as he proclaims Prince Hal as heir to the crown. The irony here is that Henry is ignoring his own vanities and could have named Prince John as heir to the throne. Although he lacks chivalrous qualities, Prince John is not vain and has proved himself to be a cunning politician and clever military commander. Prince Hal honorably fought Hotspur in battle and won the day, but Prince John defeated the entire rebel army with words alone. Prince John is confirmation that chivalry is dead in Shakespeare’s history plays, but John’s lack of chivalry spared the lives of many soldiers.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. “The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth.” The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Barnes and Noble, Inc. New York, New York. 2015. p. 449-484. Print.



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