Honor In Shakespeare's Henry IV

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Honor by definition means, “a source of credit or distinction” but its meaning is understood many different ways depending on person, time, place, and religion (Honor). In the play Henry IV Part One by William Shakespeare, Falstaff, Hal, and Worcester have different interpretations and changes of and associating with the idea of honor. Falstaff, although he remains dishonorable throughout the play, grows less dishonorable when affected by guilt and humiliation. On the other hand, Prince Hal is self motivated and starts as a person who has not accepted the responsibility he is born with, but near the end of the play, he realizes that he will soon become king and matures into the man of his father’s expectations. Rather than becoming more honorable, Worcester becomes dishonorable by withholding a message from the king. Similar to Shakespeare’s play, honor in Japan was established by social and military status when a soldier was elected to become a Kamikaze bomber …show more content…
The bombers would either get chosen or volunteer to crash their plane into an offending force. The Bushido Code was used as a way to justify the suicides committed by almost 4,000 men. The code “ emphasiz[es] frugality, stoicism, honor, obedience, a sense of duty, a war-like spirit, loyalty, courage, and self-discipline” ((Rielley, Robin L.)). A Japanese man in the military could endure the change from a common military soldier to one with the greatest honor to their family and the belief that they were protecting their country. While honor had such a great impact on the lives of Japanese soldiers, to Falstaff, “honor is a mere scutcheon” that is only present to the dead (5.1.141). Although an American nowadays would consider these actions as vicious, the volunteers were highly influenced by the emperor and being able to bring their family honor, and justified these suicides with

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