Communication in King Henry

While reading King Henry IV, I noticed two distinct patterns regarding communication

1. The characters communicate differently depending on who they are surrounded by.
2. Because certain characters fail to communicate what they feel, relationships are damaged.

Prince Harry is the perfect example of one who changes his communication patterns based on who he is speaking with. In the beginning of the play, Harry appears to the audience almost as a teenager. He is witty, opinionated, and he is quick to criticize his friends and his family. He is constantly taking friendly jabs at Falstaff especially, speaking as if he is a commoner. In reality, the audience knows that the Prince is part of the Royal family, and I assumed he has been told (probably numerous times) how to act and how to speak and how to conduct himself in public. Despite these instructions, harry chooses to communicate in the way his friends do. This also reveals something about the human tendency to fit in. One of the easiest ways to fit in is to communicate like everyone else. Hal talks like his friends, he talks ABOUT the things they talk about, because he doesn't want to stick out as something different.

Then, there is a dramatic shift as Hal wishes to redeem himself to his family and the Royal Court. Now, he finds himself wanting to fit in and so his communication so drastically changes. He speaks to his father now, with certainty and confidence. He is well aware that his Father is no pub-crawler or rebel and knows exactly how he SHOULD sound. By then end of the play, through Harry's communication, the audience sees a true transformation of a boy into a man. And eventually, that man will have to change his communication to become a King.

The second pattern in Henry IV is that miscommunication or a lack of them lead to blemished relationships. This is seen as King Henry and his son have a revealing conversation. Hal has just saved his father's life and his father tells Hal that he has "redeemed [his] lost opinion". The King clearly looked unfavorably upon his son, but also thought his son looked unfavorably upon him. Hal reassures his father that he would never betray him and it is as if this one fact fixes there complicated relationship. Because the King simply saw his son as a "mess-up" or a "lost cause", he decided not to even try to communicate with him to find something different. Once the two communicate, the audience can sense that the relationship is completely different.

Communication in Oedipus

In Oedipus Rex, Communication played a larger role than I originally thought. I don't know if Oedipus' character would have been so complex is Oedipus did not think out loud or verbally communicate every one of his feelings. Yes, it is a play, so naturally one would share their feelings verbally, but it is more than that for Oedipus. Even as he is addressing his people, he does not filter his words or feelings. Why does Oedipus feel this need, this desire, to always communicate what he feels?

I was not purposely "looking for myself" in Oedipus, but I did find myself naturally empathizing with him on more than one occasion. In doing this, I think I have found a possible answer to this question: Oedipus verbalizes his concerns and ideas in an attempt to convince and justify himself. If he can offer yet another solution, if he can argue with Tierisias for one more second, if he can just keep speaking, he can deny the bitter truth that awaits him. Through constant communication, Oedipus can appear strong when he may be overcome by weakness and doubt.

In the end, as Oedipus finally faces the truth, he cannot stop talking. He cannot stop telling everyone how damaged and disgusting his existence truly is. This is again because he is trying to validate what he knows he must learn to see as true: that he is not the man he always thought he was. Oedipus uses verbal communication to convince himself of the truth.

The First

Communication:
a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior ~Merriam-Webster's Dictionary

How is a person’s ability to communicate vital to their well-being? (Had to make my BIG question the "LARGEST" font)

I started thinking about communication in general last year as I joined Speech and Debate. Hearing that most people's greatest fear is public speaking shocked me, seeing as I compete in oratory (speech delivery). I remember asking my coach why he thought I enjoyed something like public speaking and he responded saying, “There is something very empowering about commanding the attention of a room with your ideas.”

I soon after, started to notice a fear of speaking in many people around me--classmates, my parents, even my teachers. In noticing this fear, I also began to notice that these people that fear verbal communication almost always have another way to communicate what they feel. For example, one of my closest friends is an artist in more ways than one. She may not always verbalize her strong opinions or imagination, but when I see one of her pictures, it is as if I am seeing her soul-- her insecurities, and passions, and her voice. Another one of my friends can never and will never show her frustration or anger towards another verbally, but later shares these feelings through a novel-length letter. It is as if she has the words, but speaking them is just not enough.

My Question in Literature:

As I read Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, this idea fascinated me even more. The style in which Woolf chooses to write shines light on this idea of a lack of communication. The novel does not tell the story from one person’s perspective, but instead explores it from multiple angles. These characters appear one way to the rest of the characters—usually predictable and even insignificant. However, when the story switches viewpoints, the reader finds that all of the characters have a deep and profound inner struggle.

Communication plays into this because you can almost sense the characters’ frustrations as they are not able to show the world how they really feel. Lilly, seen as meek and unimportant communicates through her paintings and conceals them from the world. I would guess that she fears communication with others because she fears revealing the deeply profound person that she is. Revealing herself to the people around her could mean hurt, rejection, and ultimately loneliness.

I admittedly did not see this connection in Ayn Rand’s Anthem until later, but now I see that communication could very well be the key to breaking though the oppressive society in the novel. The passion is ultimately stirred up in the protagonist as her begins to finally find a way to communicate his ideas; through writing. Then, his passion is ignited as he begins to verbally communicate which leads to love and desire and all of the other components necessary to be a human at all.