Hotspurs Virtues and Vices: The Tragic Hero in Henry IV Part I

In William Shakespeares Henry IV Part I, the young Henry

Hotspur Percy resembles the ideal Renaissance man. Equipped
with the abilities of a fearless leader and a valiant soldier,
Hotspur gains the respect of many. Although he is courageous,
loyal, and honorable, given at least some of the magnanimity of
the potential hero, Hotspur is heir to [a] harsh rage and want
of governance that leads to his ultimate demise (Moseley 35).
While young Percy possesses the respectable qualities that make
him a revered soldier, those very virtues double as detrimental
vices making him a political liability and his own enemy.
In 1596 and 1597, Shakespeare composed Henry IV Part I
as the second play in his Henriad tetralogy. The series of plays
feature King Richard, King Henry IV, and King Henry V. Set in
1402 and 1403, Henry IV Part I recounts the political unrest
King Henry faces after his recent ascension to the throne. Rebel

forces Lord Northumberland, his son, Hotspur, and the Earl of

Worcester rise up against the king and his son, the capricious
Prince Hal, in an effort to overthrow the king and restore who
they see as the rightful heir.
According to Michael Hattaway, author of The
Shakespearean History Play, Shakespeares histories are rooted
in actual occurrences, offering representations of historical
figures and the creation of theater out of historical events (14).
Shakespeare challenged his audience to visit the past in order to
grapple with contemporary controversies, addressing issues of
enigmas of empire, statehood, and nationality, to clashes
between ethical and political imperatives (Hattaway 16).
C.W.R.D. Moseley, author of William Shakespeare: Henry
IV Parts 1 and 2, states that the plays content was relevant to
current political issues of Elizabethan times. During the late

sixteenth century, succession and usurpation were significant

topics, as Englands reigning
monarch, Queen Elizabeth, stood alone at the throne with no
clear heir. As possible suitors sought the hand of the queen, the
question of who would be the rightful successor was a tense
issue.
In an effort to comment on Englands current political
unrest and impending dilemma, Shakespeare composed his
Henriad. Through these plays, Shakespeare explores concepts
such as rightful succession and the qualities of a venerable king.
Hotspurs character possesses the ideal qualities of a
Renaissance man, and yet it is his overly ambitious, entitled
nature, and perpetual loyalty to his family that overrules these
virtues, resulting in his destruction and death.
Perhaps through the death of Hotspur and the failure of the
rebellion, an actual historical occurrence, Shakespeare aimed to

remind the people of England that challenging the throne had

only resulted in death and war. At a time when England could so
easily crumble and fall into civil war, Shakespeare used the life
and death of Hotspur to illuminate his opinion of rebellion and
what it meant to be a leader. Although Hotspur was the flower
of glory of Christian knighthood on the battlefield, his
impulsive nature would have made him an unruly and dangerous
monarch (Barker 29).
In the initial mention of the heroic young Henry Percy,
Shakespeare dedicates much of the dialogue between King
Henry and a member of his court, the Earl of Westmoreland,
highlighting Hotspurs virtues. In a conversation rooted in
Hotspurs recent victory at Holmedon, a battle in which the
valiant soldier scored several valuable captives, King Henry
reflects on his dissatisfaction with his son Hal and reveals his
envy of Northumberland for fathering a son who

is the theme of honors tonguewho is sweet fortunes minion

and her pride (1.1.81-83). As King Henry grieves the
misfortune of Hal, a reckless threat to the throne he fought for,
the audience witnesses the king wrestle with the impending
possibility that his own spawn could
lead to his demise, while the elder Percy is blessed with a man
of true and honorable virtues. The king voices the desired
attributes of a man, a leader, an ideological heir to the throne;
unfortunately, it is Hotspur, not Hall, who appears to possess the
qualities King Henry admires.
Hotspurs revered qualities are recognized not only by the
king and his court; indeed, Hal is aware of the young Percys
appeal. In Act II Scene IV, in a spiteful satire, the prince
parodies a conversation between Hotspur and his wife. After
slaughtering some six or seven dozen of Scots at a breakfast,
he informs his wife that his work is not done, his war-driven

ambition sending him back onto the field (2.4.98-99). While Hal
shows little desire to be the man Hotspur is, he understands that
the young Percys battle cries are more acceptable than his own
inebriated tavern songs.
While Hotspurs valiant acts of courage and aggression are
praised by his superiors and revered by his fellow soldiers, it is
the mans loyalty to his family that truly illuminates his
character, shining brightly as his greatest virtue. Hotspur stands
proud, his armor marred by the dangers of battle, and forever
prepared to defend the Percy family. It is this very devotion,
however, this impeccable allegiance to his blood, that exists as a
vice teaming with detrimental venom.
During the fifteenth century and into the Renaissance
period, subjects were expected to loyally serve their masters.
Allegiance was a relevant issue, as King Henry had recently
ascended to the throne in a questionable manner, rebelling

against the former monarch, ultimately usurping King Richard.

In a similar fashion to the king, Hotspurs loyalty lies
somewhere other than the
crown. In Act I Scene I, Hotspur refuses the captives from the
battle at Holmedon that Henry has rightfully demanded,
insisting the king first pay the ransom for his brother-in-law,
Mortimer. Henry denies Hotspurs requests, as he is cautious of
the countrys political unrest and aware of
Mortimers recent allegiance to King Henrys own enemy.
Alarmed by Hotspurs disregard of the kings orders, Henry
realizes that he has to worry about not only Hotspurs
association with the enemy, but his lack of allegiance to the
royal crown.
King Henry seeks advice from Westmoreland about the
young soldiers defiance. The Earl of Westmoreland dismisses
Hotspurs actions, recognizing that it is not his pride nor defiant

nature that serves as the source of his refusal; rather, Hotspurs

actions are dictated by an allegiance stronger than his loyalty to
King Henry: it is his uncles teaching/ this is Worcester/
Malevolent to you in all aspects who initiated Hotspurs refusal
(1.1.96-97).
The Earl of Westmoreland and the king dismissed
Hotspurs defiance in Act I Scene I, recognizing that the young
Percy is merely a pawn in his uncles scheme. Blinded by his
respect for the heroic valiant, King Henry is too preoccupied
with both Hotspurs valor on the battlefield and his loyalty to his
familytwo traits absent in Henrys own sonto view him in
any concerning light. Had Worcester replaced Hotspur, however,
King Henry and Westmoreland would have responded
differently, waving over the executioner.
Young Henry Percys allegiance to Worcester and
Northumberland is inevitably what leads to his demise. While

Hotspurs fiery ambition and invincible mentality make him a

man of perpetual honor and bravery on the battlefield, these
virtues double as political liabilities. Just as the king is blind to
Hotspurs vices, Hotspur does not seem to be concerned with his
own flaws. Hotspur is known for his impulsiveness;
Northumberland describes his son as being drunk with choler
(1.3.129), a violent disposition that can display greatness,
courage, and blood
(3.1.179), but oftentimes it doth present harsh rage,/ Defect of
manners, want of government,/ Pride, haughtiness, opinion, and
disdain (3.1.181-83).
In this passage, Worcester depicts Hotspurs dilemma. His
virtues and vices are sometimes the one in the same; his
ambition and loyalty can both serve and destroy him, depending
on the circumstances. According to Lawrence Levin, author of

Hotspur, Falstaff, and the Emblem of Wrath in I Henry IV, a

mans wrath could serve as his greatest demise:
To the men of the Renaissance, intemperate anger, the
disease of the choleric man, originated in pride,
progressed to the desire for revenge, and often led to
self-destruction and shame. To overlook or underplay
the importance of this paradigm as it relates to
Hotspur is to misunderstand Shakespeares play. (48)
Worcester and Northumberland are aware of Hotspurs
aggressive temperament, recognizing it as a flaw. They warn the
young soldier, but upon realizing that Hotspur will not change
and learn how to manage his unruly wrath, the two exploit his
vice, using it to further the rebels agenda.
Worcester knows that Hotspurs refusal to turn over his
captives has angered King Henry. Upon the entrance of
Worcester, Northumberland, and Hotspur in Act I Scene III,

King Henry warns that although he has remained calm and eventempered, allowing the three Percys to take advantage of his
patience, this lackadaisical reign has come to an end: I will
from henceforth rather be myself,/ Mighty and to be feared
(I.III.5-6). Hotspur attempts to explain his behavior, insisting
that the messenger had angered Hotspur, resulting in the denial
of the captives. Infuriated, Henry still refuses to pay Mortimers
ransom.
Aware that Hotspur is enraged by the kings decision,
Worcester manipulates Hotspur, informing him that Mortimer is
actually the rightful king, proclaimed/ By Richard that dead is
(1.3.145-46). Here, Hotspurs allegiance to his family and the
kings reaction spur a fiery
opposition, moving forward Worcesters carefully crafted plan.
In an impulsive rage, he challenges his family members to raise
arms, declaring

yet time serves wherein you may redeem

Your banished honors and restore yourselves
Into the good thoughts of the world again;
Revenge the jeering and disdained contempt
Of this proud king, who studies day and night
To answer all the debt he owes to you
Even with the bloody payment of your deaths.
(1.3.180-86)
Hotspurs rebellious impetuosity increases throughout the
play; his pride and ambition disguise his destructive vices as an
opportunity for victory and restoration of rightful succession.
Despite receiving news that Northumberland will not be joining
the brigades, his own fathers loyalty far less great than his own,
Hotspur continues the rebel campaign. He claims he would
rather of his absence make this use:/ It lends a luster and more
great opinion,/ A larger dare to our great enterprise (4.I.76-8).

Pride blinds Hotspur, leading him to believe that defeating the

royal forces will glorify Hotspur and the rebel campaign.
After refusing a one-on-one battle between Prince Hal and
Hotspur, one that would spare the bloodshed of thousands, the
rebels and the kings men charge, clashing on the battlefield.
Despite declining the princes offer, Hal and Hotspur meet
during the battle. The two engage in an intense duel. Hotspur
falls to Hals sword, a sacrifice grounded in his loyalty to family
and devotion to the rebel cause. Upon Hotspurs death, Hal
reflects on the passionate drive of the sacrificial lamb, recalling
his Ill-weaved ambition, how much art thou shrunk!/When that
body did contain a spirit,/ A kingdom for it was too small a
bound (5.4.87-89). Hotspurs death at the hands of Hal
symbolizes the impending doom of the rebellion. As Hal
stumbles away from the defeated valiant, Shakespeare reminds

his audience that order is restored, and a move to disrupt this

stability results in ultimate destruction of the rebels.
According to Claire McEachern, the editor of The Pelican
Shakespeare Henry IV Part I, the very qualities that make
Hotspur a brave warrior render him vulnerable to the
machinations of true politicians (xxxv). His bravery and loyalty
mark him as a heroic man, but his unfaltering devotion paired
with his choleric wrath allowed him to be manipulated at the
hands of greater powers. The young Harry Percy, the hotheaded
warrior, exists as a tragic hero, demised by his own hubris. His
tragic flawsthe virtues turned vices, the attributes that made
him a grand fighter but a political liabilitymay have been
tolerated by those around him, but not by fate.

Works Cited
Barker, Roberta. Tragical-Comical-Historical Hotspur. Shakespeare Quarterly 54.3
(2003): 288-307. JSTOR Language and Literature Collection. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
Hattaway, Michael. "Chapter One: The Shakespearean History Play." The Cambridge
Companion to Shakespeare's History Plays. Ed. Michael Hattaway. Cambridge,
UK: Cambridge UP, 2002. 3-24. Print.
Levin, Lawrence L. Hotspur, Falstaff, and the Emblem of Wrath in I Henry IV.
Shakespeare Studies 10 (1977): 43-65. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 3
Apr. 2014.
Moseley, C.W.R.D. William Shakespeare: Henry IV Parts I and 2. Cumbria, UK:
Humanities-Ebooks.co.uk, 2007. ebrary. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Shakespeare, William. Henvry IV Part I. Ed. Claire McEachern. New York: Penguin
Books, 1957. Print.