PRINCE HAL

later Henry V prince of Wales and companion of the bawdy Sir John Falstaff in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2. In Part 1 Hal is introduced as an irresponsible, fun-loving youth in contrast to his ruthlessly efficient father, King Henry IV, and to the brave but impetuous rebel Henry Percy, known as Hotspur. It transpires, however, that Hal's profligacy is a calculated pose intended to make his eventual "reformation" more surprising and more admirable. When he assumes the throne in Part 2, he proves to be as cunning as his father, abandoning the vice and anarchy of his youth, brusquely rejecting his former companions, and taking on a new dignity as the capable warrior king he is to become (see Henry V). Historically, Prince Hal accompanied King Richard II in the Irish campaign, led English troops against the Welsh Insurrection, and ruled England for several years during his father's last illness. Although stories about Henry V have often alluded to his reckless youth, there is little real evidence.