Henry IV Part 1: Act 1, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis

Elsewhere in the London palace, Prince Hal and Falstaff banter in one of the prince’s rooms. Falstaff asks the time and the prince protests that “fat-witted” Falstaff, who spends all his time drinking “sack” (fortified wine) and sleeping, has no business asking after the time of day. Indeed, Falstaff agrees, he and Hal are men of night and “gentlemen of the shade” who thieve under the moon. He tells Hal not to let “squires of the night’s body be called thieves of the day’s beauty” when Hal is king. “Do not thou,” Falstaff urges, “when thou art king, hang a thief.” The prince jokes that he’ll put Falstaff in charge of all hangings. Falstaff is delighted.

Falstaff calls Prince Hal “the most comparative, rascalliest, sweet young prince.” Then he declares he wishes he and Hal knew where to buy “good names,” because a Council lord stopped Falstaff in the street the other day to berate Prince Hal and, though the lord spoke “very wisely,” Falstaff ignored his words. Prince Hal compliments Falstaff’s behavior, “for wisdom cries out in the streets, and no man regards it.” Falstaff laments (jokingly) that Hal has corrupted him.

Prince Hal and Falstaff discuss stealing a purse the next day. Ned Poins enters and he and Falstaff berate each other. Poins proposes that they plan to steal the offerings and money from a group of Canterbury-bound pilgrims and London-bound traders the next morning at 4 a.m. Prince Hal pretends to be baffled by the suggestion “Who, I rob? I a thief?” he asks. Falstaff says Prince Hal lacks “honesty, manhood, [and] good fellowship” unless he agrees to steal. Poins tells Falstaff he’ll convince the prince himself and sends Falstaff off. Falstaff leaves for Eastcheap.

As soon as Falstaff exits, Points lets Prince Hal in on his real plan: he and Prince Hal will put on disguises and, after Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill commit the robbery, he and Prince Hal will rob their friends. Poins is sure that their friends, “true-bred cowards,” will immediately surrender. Later, when Falstaff inevitably lies about his own courage in recounting the incident to Poins and Prince Hal, they can catch him in his lies and make fun of him. Prince Hal agrees to the plot and plans to meet Poins in Eastcheap later. Poins exits.

Alone on stage, Prince Hal delivers a speech explaining that, though he acts corrupt, his behavior has nothing to do with his true nature. He compares himself to a personified sun who may “permit the base contagious clouds” to dull “his beauty” but who, “when he please again to be himself,” can burn those clouds away and shine as bright as ever. Likewise, Prince Hal says he will eventually abandon his mischievous ways and, when he does, his old bad behavior will provide the contrast to make his new good behavior seem even better and more admirable. Hal explains, “my reformation….shall show more goodly and attract more eyes than that which hath no foil to set it off.”