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SENIOR ENGLISH 243:
Shakespeare
Name:
Henry IV, Part 1 Final Essay
Choose one of the topics below as a guiding idea to address in a short essay of 1300-1500 words (4-5 pages) that is
meaningful and interesting to you and that explores an area of the play that gives rise to new thinking or even new questions.
Intensive REQUIREMENT:
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
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Include a discussion of any of the other Henry plays (most likely Richard II, leading to a full comparison or contrast with 1
Henry IV.)
Include at least three cited references to the weekly critical programs you’ve watched/listened to since the beginning of the
school year, two from separate sources.
[Length is the same as for ACP writers.]
1.
Free Choice.
It always starts here. Develop your own thesis by choosing to explore anything that interests you about the play—for example,
about its characters, theme, conflict, some idea that grew out of classroom discussion and shape this idea into a clearlyworded argument. OR choose to write on a variation of any of the first seven essay topics.
2.
SOMETHING BIG FROM SOMETHING SMALL. Assume of course that nothing comes accidentally from Shakespeare’s pen. Every
word, phrase, and sentence is intentional. Choose an unnoticed sentence or phrase from the play—one that went
unmentioned in classroom discussion and may at first look seem insignificant—and reveal its important value to the play. (The
smaller, the more hidden, the better. Write as if you believe you are the first person to write about this.)
3.
Honor. What does the play seem to suggest about the subject of honor in the play? (Use a concordance to find out how
many times the word comes up in the play.) How does Shakespeare invite various lenses through which to explore the
subject? What are we meant to think about the subject by the end of the play?
4.
Leadership— What does the play seem to suggest about the subject of leadership in the play? Compare Hal and Hotspur as
leader types in a search for what the reader/audience is meant to understand about leadership by the end of the play.
5.
Falstaff—Explore the character of Falstaff from any angle, leading toward an explanation of what makes him such an enduring
character to arise from the play. Perhaps explore his role in the play as a foil for the king (an alternative father for Hal) or a
for Hotspur (in his opposition to the value of honor). How are we meant to experience his choice or life over honor in his final
appearance in the play?
6.
Character
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Pairings—Explore characters in comparison—as foils for each other, as companions on a theme, as a relationship
that benefits from deeper discussion: Hal—Falstaff; Hal—Hotspur; Hal—Henry; Falstaff—Henry; Falstaff—Hotspur—
these are all possibilities, and there may be more.
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Character Analysis/Exploration. Our study of the play has emphasized the ambiguity of the characters’
motivations and the freedom with which actors may interpret their roles. Still, an actor must choose an interpretation
that is supported by the text. Using evidence from the text, explore the role of any one of the following characters:
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Main Characters: Hal, Falstaff, Hotspur
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Middle Characters: King Henry, Worcester
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Minor Characters: Blunt, Mortimer, Glendower, Douglas, Bardolph, Gadshill, Francis, the Hostess
7.
Filial Piety—In this case, it’s fathers and sons. Explore the importance of Henry’s desire for Hotspur to be his son, instead of
Hal—as well as Hal’s use of Falstaff as a surrogate father. What does the play seem to want to say about the relationship
between parents and their children?
8.
Women in the Play—Lady Percy and Lady Mortimer, Glendower’s daughter. Yes, this is a man’s play, with only two female
roles. Explore either the presence or absence of women in the play to give a perspective on the significance of women in the
play.
9.
Biography and the Play—Use your study of Shakespeare’s biography (either from Bryson or Greenblatt) to give relief to an
understanding of the play. Perhaps Hal’s youth can be explored through the lens of our knowledge of Shakespeare’s own
growing up; or his relationships with Falstaff and Henry understood through examination of John Shakespeare—as some
examples.
10. History and the Play—Use your love of history to measure the effectiveness of Shakespeare’s own version of the events.
What changes does Shakespeare make that merit our enriched understanding of the historical and fictional accounts?
TOPIC DEVELOPMENT
(CLOUT—Say something meaningful; give it clout, significance.)
Content
1. appropriate to the topic—the essay explores a meaningful element of the work
2. sophistication, consequence—reveals a fresh, unique look; subtle organization and expression
3. fullness—fully and thoughtfully explained, not rushed or skimpy
4. details—clearly support the thesis
5. quotations—appropriately and effectively used for support
PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION
(CLARITY—Say it clearly.)
Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs
[title--interesting and/or descriptive; provocative; includes the work’s title in addition to an indication of the thesis]
1. hook/lead—interesting, provocative, stylish phrasing
2. thesis—a clear thesis is presented
3. roadmap—contains clear references (a roadmap) to the points covered in order to defend the thesis
Body Paragraphs
1. topic sentence—the topic sentence clearly identifies the important point or points to be made
2. supportive details—clear and relevant support is presented
3. transition words--the writer guides the reader with transition words (first, next, then, also, etc...); the
paragraph progresses logically
4. concluding sentence ("clincher")--wraps up the paragraph in a satisfying way; may serve as a transition to
the following paragraph
5. UNITY--maintains a singular focus throughout. Every supporting sentence serves (advances) the topic sentence.
STYLE
(CLASS—Say it with flair.)
1. word choice / vocabulary—clear, exact, rich language; powerful verbs, strong adjectives
2. sentence variety--a rich, sophisticated balance of sentence types (simple, compound, complex) and sentence
lengths; unique phrasing
3. voice—a unique tone of the writer; enthusiastic, expressive, sincere
WRITING CONVENTIONS
(CLEANLINESS—Be clean; follow the rules.)
Mechanics
1. quotations—correctly cited
2. spelling--words are properly spelled
3. capitalization--words in need of capitalization are capitalized
4. punctuation--sentences are properly punctuated
5. usage--words are used properly, e.g., subject/verb agreement, pronoun reference
6. sentence completeness--sentences are complete--no run-ons or fragments
Format
course guidelines are followed--double spacing; readable, 12-pt. conventional font; 1-1.25 in. margins; proper
heading; contains writing process components (pre-writing, first draft, final
draft)