The Transformation of Foil Characters: An Comparison of Hal and Hotspur as Foil Characters

In Henry IV Part 1, by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare intends the readers to view Hal and Hotspur as foil characters. A foil character is a character who contrasts with another character, usually to highlight one of their attributes (“Foil.”). Hotspur, a well renowned war hero, is respected among many people in his society. One of those people includes King Henry IV. King Henry IV is ashamed of his own son and wants him to be more like Hotspur. Prince Hal, King Henry IV’s son, is expected to be an honorable young man since he is going to take the thrown after his father. However, Hal falls short of these expectations by carrying a negative image in society. At the beginning of the book, he is seen hanging out in a tavern with his drinking buddies, planning a robbery, and poking fun at authority. Hal realizes his father’s disappointment in him and later changes into a distinguished prince. Without Hotspur acting as a foil character, Hal would not have transformed. Hotspur and Hal have more differences than similarities, which allows for the reader to better understand each of the characters’ personality traits. Hal and Hotspur are similar in their beliefs of what honor constitutes and what they need to accomplish to acquire honor. However, the honor they have and their ultimate outcomes differ tremendously. Hal and Hotspur develop into foil characters through their respective views on honor and their ultimate outcomes.
Hal and Hotspur both recognize honor as something that is desirable and admirable. In the play, honor is defined by success in battle and status in society. Hotspur is seen as honorable at the beginning of the play due to his success in battle. King Henry IV expresses how he views Hotspur as a man of honor by ca...

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...nal qualities. Today, many people compare themselves to other people in order to better understand where they stand in society. I have compared myself to people who are striving in society which gives me inspiration to work harder. When I compare myself to other people, positively or negatively, it distinguishes my qualities as a person. When King Henry IV compared his son to Hotspur, it gave Hal the motivation he needed to improve his reputation. Similarly, many people contrast themselves to other people in society. These comparisons often give people motivation and encouragement to work harder to improve themselves.

Works Cited

"Foil." Literary Devices. Literary Devices, n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2014. .
Shakespeare, William. Henry IV, Part 1. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Pr., 1994. Print.