~A Man of the Moon or Not at All?~ In Act I, Scene II of William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I, Prince Henry of Wales, a.k.a. Hal, delivers a monologue that has profound effects on both the perception of his character, and on the entire plot of the play. Prior to his monologue in scene II, the Prince plots mischief with his mutinous friends, Falstaff and Poins. We think the Prince to …showed first 75 words of 1168 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1168 total…form both his current comrades and the English people. The final question is where does the Prince’s character stand on the moral continuum that seems so prominent a feature of this play? Shakespeare has most certainly succeeded in making things complicated. What is clear is that the Prince’s monologue does its duty to fuel the continuity of the play by raising these questions and fueling an intense curiosity of what is to come.