Discussion Questions Henry IV Part One

Discussion questions provided by professor. Questions are: 1. Are Hotspur, Worcester, and Northumberland justified in their revolt against Henry IV, or are they simply traitors rebelling against their legitimate king? What crimes has Henry committed against them? How does Shakespeare seem to want us to feel about their plot to divide England into three pieces (3.1)? How does this revolt fit into the scheme of the Tudor Myth? 2. In Act 3, scene 2, King Henry tells his son Hal that he is a disgrace to the family and that he bears more of a resemblance to the deposed King Richard than his own father. Do you agree with this statement, or do you see similarities between Hal's behavior and his father's? If so, what are they? What insight do we get into Hal's character by witnessing the tavern scenes (especially 2.4), of which the King has no knowledge?