Was it justified to organize a rebellion against King Henry?
Ginger K.
Yes:
In Richard II, Henry Bolingbroke claimed that he only wanted back the land and other possessions that his father (John of Gaunt) had before he died. But, in Henry IV Part, King Henry makes it clear that his true intentions were to obtain the throne. King Henry concealed his true goal from the rebels who helped him and trusted him to keep to not break his oath. Worcester, in a speech he gives to Henry makes these claims, Also, he didn’t share the wealth he got from becoming king. He used them. They helped him ascend the throne and Henry didn’t repay them at all. If we had only read Richard II, it wouldn’t have made sense that the rebels fight against Henry in the next play, but because King Henry admits what his real plan was in Henry IV Part I, the rebellion is justified. Hotspur’s family has been wronged, and they are fighting back against unfair treatment for the services they supplied to King Henry. They deserve more and are justified in fighting to get it. They are justified in fighting to punish King Henry for the serious offence of a broken oath.
No:
It wasn’t justified for Hotspur and his family to rebel against King Henry. The conflict started because Henry wouldn’t ransom Mortimer. The bigger problem for Hotspur’s family was that the King said that he only came back to England to rightfully claim Lancaster and his father’s belongings, but then become king. Although in Henry IV, King Henry admits that he was going for the crown all along, and was just “dressed in humility” (Act 3, Scene 2, 133, Henry IV) when speaking with King Richard, he never acts on this desire to become king. Richard is the one who gives him the crown, Henry doesn’t steal it. Also, Richard is seen to be doing a bad job of ruling the country, and Henry is probably doing a better job. It’s selfish that Hotspur’s family rebels just because they want recognition and personal gain. There are all of the citizens of England to worry about, not just their family. Also, the rebellion that Hotspur is spearheading creates unnecessary deaths and unnecessary turmoil. And yes, King Henry should have given them a share of the benefits that he received, but that doesn’t warrant a full blown self centered rebellion.