Hotspur believes he deserves others’ respect because he was born a Percy, and Prince Hal secretly trusts his princely blood will protect him from the dishonor he immerses himself in at Boarshead Tavern. In his mind, he has to wage war to protect his family’s honor and restore the esteemed position he feels the Percy clan deserves.Īs to how one goes about acquiring honor, the play avoids committing to a single answer and provides different possible methods. For Hotspur, this battle is the only honorable thing to do. Just as crucial to the play is Hotspur’s quest for (further) honor, which, insofar as it leads him to wage the Battle of Shrewsbury against King Henry, drives the entire plot action of the play. Prince Hal’s trajectory through the play transforms him from a fun-loving teenager into a mature prince and is described in terms of honor: he goes from a position of dishonor at play’s start (where King Henry laments his recklessness and wishes he could embody the honor of young Hotspur) to a position of high honor at play’s end (where his father, along with everyone around him, praises his courage and nobility). Throughout the play, characters pursue honor even while they also ask questions about the nature of honor and wonder about its value.