The major theme hinges on the attraction of the tavern and the duty of the court. Prince Hal is a spirited young man, intelligent and energetic. He is not particularly eager to please much of anyone but himself. The renaissance audience delights to see this young man come around to face his duty and successfully uphold not only his own honor, but his father's as well. This tends to follow the pattern of the Prodigal Son story with some notable differences. But the important point is that Hal is a better man because he has seen the other side of life, because he has demonstrated his own independence, and because he did not always live in the shadow of his father but struck out on his own and made his own way among men, albeit of a lowly class. <>Honor is also a theme that is explored and dramatized. Today, in a more complex and diverse society, we are likely to pay little attention to honor. If someone cuts you off on the freeway on the way to the university, you have been cautioned to forget it, drop back a few car lengths, reduce speed, and continue on your way. You have been warned not to "rise to the  challenge and defend your honor. No one is going to do this and get by with it!" By the same token there is a greater temptation to engage in dishonorable behavior. Who will know what I have done? And if I am found out, I will just move on-- maybe go to California and get a new start.

In Shakespeare's day men were much more likely to defend their honor if subject to minor slights comparable to being cut off on the freeway. And, at the same time, people tended to defend and maintain their honor, because there was no place to hide. The population was much smaller. Everyone knew each other and news by word of mouth traveled fast. Dueling was illegal in Elizabethan England, nevertheless, it was much more common than today and we see both humorous and serious duels in various Shakespearean plays.

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