Heroism is Shakespeare's Hamlet, Henry IV, Part 1

In William Shakespeare's plays, Hamlet and Henry IV, Part 1, the two princes, Hal and Hamlet, demonstrate courageous examples of what makes a heroic prince. Hamlet avenges his father's death and Hal saves his father's life. Although, there are aspects within each play that make them heroic, Hal's actions and growth surpasses Hamlet's heroism.

In the beginning of Henry IV, Part 1, Hal is portrayed as this prince whose life revolves around thievery as well as bad people that his father expresses disapproval towards. Because thievery isn't good, Hal changes his second-class ways in order to please his father. Hal decides to go into battle with Hotspur to get his father's approval. This change in personality shows growth. It takes a lot for a person to change who he is; Hal is willing to make a positive change. Instead of lounging around the tavern and playing tricks on friends, he battles and kills Hotspur. Hal's heroism is exemplified by the duties he does.

On the other hand, in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Prince Hamlet has always been a good son. In fact, when his father dies, Hamlet is away at school. This shows that Hamlet is a good prince - he makes use of his time, unlike Hal, who spends his time committing crimes and hanging around taverns. But, this doesn't make Hamlet a heroic prince, just a good son. Unlike Hal, who demonstrates growth throughout the play, Hamlet's good personality dwindles. He contemplates suicide, pretends to be mad, and eventually, becomes mad.

When faced with tragedy, a heroic king doesn't question death. But in Hamlet, Hamlet says in his soliloquy:

To be or not to be - that is the question: / Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles / And, by opposing, end them. (3.1.64-68)

Hamlet questions if it's better to die because of the situations that have taken place or to live and fight against these problems. A heroic prince would not have to question this. Furthermore, the heroic prince knows that if something is wrong, he needs to step up and execute the problem. The question of suicide shows that Hamlet is a weak character in comparison to Hal.

In the end of Henry IV, Part 1, Hal is successful at saving his father's life. After the character, Douglas attempts to kill King Henry and flees, King Henry says to Hal, "Thou hast redeemed thy lost opinion/ And showed thou mak'st some tender of my life / In this fair rescue thou hast brought to me" (5.4.47-50). Hal's father acknowledges Hal's heroism, and his negative opinion of Hal has changed. He is proud that Hal is his son because of Hal's heroic effort.

In Hamlet, however, Prince Hamlet procrastinates when it comes to avenging his father's death. He had many opportunities to kill Claudius, but doesn't for different reasons. Important people die because Hamlet stalls to kill Claudius. If he were heroic, he wouldn't wait so long to kill the new king. In fact, Hamlet doesn't even kill Claudius until he sees his mother dies. It takes four extra people to die (Polonius, Gertrude, Laetres, and Ophelia) before Hamlet finally kills the man who took his father's life. Hamlet's latency to kill Claudius puts into question if he would ever kill him if it weren't for seeing his mother's death. A heroic prince wouldn't have delayed the death of his father's murderer that long. Perhaps seeing his mother die finally enraged him to kill Claudius, which is a disgrace to his father's honor, more so, it isn't heroic.

Hamlet does succeed at avenging his father's death, but his latency to do so results in the death of those around him. Whereas Hal jumps right into battle once he finds out his father disapproves of him. Hal's quickness and loyalty shows that he is more heroic than Hamlet, whose instability ruins the label of heroic for him.