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The dialog between Harry and King Henry in Act 3, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play, The History of Henry the Fourth Part One, is paramount as it is Harry's speech that marks the climax and the turning point of the play. Harry, in a series of metaphors illustrates that he will throw off his vagabond ways and will now assume the role of an heir to the throne.
The scene takes place in King Henry's palace in London. Harry is speaking to his father, King Henry IV. King Henry has requested Prince Harry's presence to speak with him. King Henry knows that the Hotspur and the Earl of Northumberland, the Percy family, are conspiring to overthrow him.
King Henry gives Harry a long lecture on how he is not only saddened and angry, but also troubled with Harry's present behavior. King Henry expresses three points that are troubling him. King Henry admonishes Harry for socializing with common rogues and thieves (Falstaff, Peto, and Bardolph), and not behaving in a manner representing his status as a successor to the throne. King Henry tells Harry that he is behaving exactly like Richard II (the King Henry overthrew): The people hated King Richard because of his indulging in pleasures. King Henry is afraid of Harry following this same course of behavior.
Changing the focus, King Henry next cites how Hotspur appears to be a stronger candidate for inheriting the throne because of the demeanor Hotspur projects. Hotspur demonstrates his courage in warfare, winning honor and daring to take on the King himself. Hotspur reminds Henry of himself but Henry does not recognize himself at all in Harry.
Last, Henry reveals his darkest fear. Henry fears that Harry hates him. Henry also fears that because Harry acts as such a scoundrel, if Hotspur and the Earl of Northumberland offer Harry money, he will join forces with Henry's enemies. King Henry in his lecture has finally burned himself out and revealed his deepest fear. Harry has waited all this time and has held his tongue during his father's rant.
Harry delivers this quote with heart felt passion and the language is finely crafted, refined, and exhausted. The language, plus the metaphors Harry uses are that of a noble man who shall prove to the King and the people through his deeds and actions that he is the most worthy candidate for succession to the throne. Many of Harry's words demonstrate not only respect for and kinship with his father, but also his understanding of economics which will be necessary in order to successfully rule a kingdom. Harry responds with the following:
Percy is but my factor, good my lord,
To engross up glorious deeds on my behalf;
And I will call him to so strict account
That he shall render every glory up,
Yea, even the slightest worship of his time,
Or I will tear the reckoning from his heart.
This, in the name of God, I promise here,
The which if he be pleased I shall perform,
I do beseech your majesty may salve
The long-grown wounds of my intemperature;
If not, the end of life cancels all bonds,
And I will die a hundred thousand deaths
Ere break the smallest parcel of this vow (3.2.147-159).
Harry begins with, "Percy is but my factor, good my lord,...." Percy is the family name of Hotspur and the Earl of Northumberland but it is understood that Harry is referring to Hotspur. The first sentence develops a pattern that will continue in Harry's response to his father. Harry is using the phrase "my factor" in the economic sense meaning an agent who gathers or accrues goods for their employer. Harry follows this with "good my lord," meaning "my good lord," in order to express the idea that "I am saying this out of respect to you not only as my father but also as my King and that I swear my allegiance to you only." In other words, affirming the idea that Harry is on his father's side and will not be swayed to the side of Henry's enemies.
"...To engross up glorious deeds on my behalf;..." suggests that the factor, Hotspur, will accrue deeds the way another factor might accrue goods for his employer, in this case, Prince Harry. Harry intends to build and amass (engross) Hotspur's glorious or boastful deeds for his own purposes. The word "engross" also means "to collect from all quarters" referring to going out and collecting taxes across the kingdom, a reference the King would be familiar with.
With the metaphor "...And I will call him to so strict account...." Harry intends to have Hotspur account for each and every one of his deeds, as a factor would have to account for each transaction.
Harry continues, "...That he shall render every glory up,..." re-said as "I will make Hotspur give up every sliver of admiration he has earned, to me." Harry uses the word "render" as a banking term meaning "to give back" or pay back all that Hotspur has earned.
Next, Harry says "...Yea, even the slightest worship [honor, distinction] of his time, Or I will tear the reckoning from his heart." Harry intends to make Hotspur give up the very distinction of his life to me; otherwise, I am going to rip it out of his heart by force on the battlefield. It is quite clear Harry will kill Hotspur on battlefield if he does not yield to the Prince.
"...This, in the name of God, I promise here, / The which if he [God] be pleased I shall perform,..." in elegant language means if killing Hotspur on the battlefield is what you expect of me then I swear to God, I will kill Hotspur for you, as my father and my king.
Harry affirms why he will carry out this deed. "...I do beseech [implore] your majesty may salve / The long-grown wounds of my intemperature [a lack of moderation or restraint of action or passion];..." means, I beg you my lord that my action should act as a healing ointment for the purpose of healing the wounds I have inflicted upon you through my disorder or improper behavior as a prince. Shakespeare uses such eloquent language here that it is worth examining further.
Harry is confirming that he understands his father's lecture and that he does indeed love his father but not only as his father but also as his King. Harry is asking for his father's forgiveness and from here on in, Harry will change his ways and act as a prince. Harry will prove to his father that he is the rightful heir to the throne versus Hotspur.
Harry now sums up his speech with the following lines. "...If not, the end of life cancels all bonds,..." in other words, if I do not kill Hotspur on the battlefield I will die trying separating us forever. At least you will know from what I have just said that these were my intentions to honor you as my father and my king.
Once again, Harry uses another economic metaphor, "cancels all bonds." Some bonds when issued by a company have a stipulation that if the company recalls the bond then the investor only receives the sum of money one originally invested and does not collect the interest that was offered if the bond is recalled it matures. The investor looses nothing but does not gain anything either. This is another way of saying, "Father, if nothing else and Hotspur kills me at least you will know that I loved you and I never intended to defect to your enemies side."
Harry's begins to sum up the metaphor with, "...And I will die a hundred thousand deaths..." suggesting that because Harry has sworn to God, he will die over and over again in Hell for not succeeding in his intention.
Harry ends with, "...Ere break the smallest parcel of this vow. [,]" meaning if I break one iota of my promise to you. "Parcel" is the last of the economic words where parcel refers to an item of an account or a detail or a particular point.
Harry not only illustrates that he will throw off his vagabond ways, professes his allegiance to his father as his king, but also demonstrates that he is the best candidate as his father's successor by speaking metaphorically in a language King Henry can readily understand: the language of economics.
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