I first became interested in the topic for my final essay when we read King Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry V. The transformation of Prince Hal to King Henry V was truly amazing to me, because I can relate to his personality. Henry is very smart behind closed doors who likes to read and is well-educated, but he also likes to have a good time and that connection with myself is when I first became interested in this topic.
My investigation of the topic evolved from reading the comments on my previous Short Assignments. On previous papers, I had narrowly used sources backed with poetry or examples from the plays, but this research essay was different. I had to read primary sources to find secondary sources that would only give minimal information, but it was helpful in supporting my argument. Reading the entirety of “educating” a prince in the back of the book was also something I had not done before. I needed to view both sides of the argument for my analysis and just reading and finding more texts about my topic was helpful.
The most significant discoveries about the early modern culture that I made in writing this essay was how advanced England would be, but also were unwilling to change from their old habits and traditions. England was at the top of Europe and the world when these plays were written because of their advancement in technology and imperialist beliefs. On the other hand, England wanted the monarchy to follow specific guidelines for their upbringing, but if new liberal ways improved the way a monarch can rule, why stay the same?
These discoveries about the culture/play particularly resonated with me because these books were most like my personality. Hal pleases a lot of people and makes sure he is happy doing so. He discovers who he was and that he was ready to become king after his father and that motivates me, especially during his famous speeches. The connection between Hal becoming Henry V and myself becoming the man I am today is something I will always cherish and because of this, I will read these plays for years to come.