Risen King, Fallen Knight.

In "Henry IV" by Shakespeare, there are a number of important characters. Shakespeare tends to have the different characters parallel each other, to show contrast and similarity. One extremely interesting parallel is between Henry IV himself, the king, and Falstaff, the drunken knight.
Henry Bolingbroke was thrust into the spotlight after the beheading of Richard III. He became King of England through treachery and bloodshed, but has since tried to be a good ruler over the people, and a good father to his children. However, his son, Henry (or Hal, as he prefers to be called), has been led…