A Prince's Facade Provides Hope for Maturity

Upon completing Henry IV, I find that being able to see the growth in characters has been one of the easiest things for me to identify in the literature we have read so far. Who grows up in Henry IV? Clearly, the most obvious answer is Prince Hal. But why? Well, in the beginning of the play, he was associating himself with a lower class that consisted of pub crawlers, and by the end, takes responsibility for his position as future King. Shakespeare clues readers in on Hal's true motives when Hal admits that his irresponsible behavior is all just a facade, and he has alternative motives of transforming himself into a worthy prince. So, does that mean he has been mature this entire time, and is just pretending not to be for the sake of preparing himself for his expectations? Well, pretending not to be mature, when you actually are, doesn't sound very mature to me. As stated in previous posts, growing up can be defined as being able to understand what is expected of you and fulfilling those expectations to the best of your ability. Prince Hal already knew what was expected of him, he just was procrastinating. Even, so I think it is fair to conclude that Prince Hal shows growth and promise in this play. A thought occurred to me that I couldn’t exactly answer. Does Prince Hal fake his interest in the pub crawlers to procrastinate his duties as prince, or is he simply using this façade to prepare for his responsibilities? I have heard it and personally interpreted it in different ways. I find he is simply preparing himself, while others claim it is procrastination. If it is procrastination, is it due to laziness or fear? Although this question seemed important as I pondered it, it proves to be irrelevant by the end. Whether it is out of preparation, or procrastination, fear, or laziness, Prince Hal rises up to his expectations as a noble prince, takes charge, and fights. He proves himself to his father and grows as a character, no matter what level of maturity he started at. One scene that puzzled me was when Falstaff claims to have slain the infamous Hotspur, and Hal lets him take credit for it. I can’t tell why he does this, and if it plays a part in his growth as a character. Is he giving Falstaff this victory so Falstaff can be recognized for a more honorable status that drunken slob? If so, I would say it does add to his growth. He could be honest and take credit for his kill of Hotspur, to lead him to an even greater accomplished Prince, but instead he lets Falstaff take credit. I find that to be pretty mature, if that is the reasoning behind his actions. Now, finalizing my thinking, I recognized a comparison between Henry IV and Oedipus Rex: Prince Hal is the main character, Oedipus is the main character, both showed the most obvious signs of growing up in both of their pieces of literature…I am seeing a pattern.