Henry IV Response

One aspect of Henry IV that I find intriguing is the contradicting presence of identity. On page 74, Landolph says to Berthold, “And don’t feel too bad since none of us really know who we are, either! He’s Harold; he’s Ordulph; I’m Landolph. That’s what he calls us. By now we’re used to it.  But who are we really? Just names of the period.” The actors that are the real, sane people don’t know their own purpose.  They live to satisfy a madman’s reality.  They act according to how they are suppose to act and what history demands of them.  They have completely forfeited their abilities to choose and be unique individuals.  Landolph also says on page 77, “We’ll put your strings on and turn you into the best and most accomplished of puppets.” This passage is particularly disturbing to me because the actors are perfectly content surrendering their own realities to that of a madman’s.  The irony of the situation is that Henry is no longer a madman and he is the only one choosing to behave the way he wants. He sees these imposters and laughs because he realizes the insanity within their saneness.  I think that this scenario presents a somewhat typical human tendency.  People are often followers and exchange their individuality for an existence in the company of others that is socially acceptable. Additionally, the only man in the play that is truly behaving according to his own agenda is labeled the madman.