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The Unprodigal Prince? Defining Prodigality in the Henry IVs

Horbury, E; (2018) The Unprodigal Prince? Defining Prodigality in the Henry IVs. Shakespeare , 14 (4) 10.1080/17450918.2017.1322132. Green open access

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Abstract

Since John Dover Wilson’s declaration that Prince Hal is a “prodigal prince”, critics have read the Henry IV plays as adaptations of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15.11–32). Although the parable informs the plays, Hal is not “prodigal” in the predominant early modern understanding of prodigality. Prodigality is defined by wasteful excess, often financial in nature, and prodigal sons were defined as much by this excess as by association with the Lukan paradigm. The Henry IVs present one of the most complex and enduring formulations of the relationship between prodigality and the parable in early modern literature, which cannot be understood without an appropriate understanding of prodigality in context. This article explicates early modern prodigality, accounting for its classical context, secular and religious usage, gendered dimension, and role in dramatic adaptations of the parable. It then situates the Henry IVs within this context and delineates how Hal enacts a prodigal son plot with Falstaff’s prodigality functioning in place of his own prodigal dissolution. By providing a historicist understanding of prodigal sons, this article facilitates more accurate readings of prodigality and the parable in early modern culture.

Type: Article
Title: The Unprodigal Prince? Defining Prodigality in the Henry IVs
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1080/17450918.2017.1322132
Publisher version: http://doi.org/10.1080/17450918.2017.1322132
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry IV, prodigal son, Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, golden mean, prodigality, Luke, parables
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of Arts and Humanities
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10068848
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