Henry IV Part I

In regards to what individuals turn to in times of struggle, the characters in Henry IV vary in their tactics. Falstaff turns to alcohol and food, always having fun, never taking anything seriously. On the other hand, Hal, when he realizes he must finally step up to the plate, takes on the responsibility that is expected of him and turns to family loyalty. He turns from his previous friends to the stability of his family and his fate as King. It seems as though characters turn to whatever has been the most stable for them throughout their lives. For Falstaff, indulgence and jokery had always proven well for him, and he led a happy carefree life. When things begin to run amuck, he returns to his 'foolish' ways, the habits he has always know. While Hal ran around with the pub crawlers for quite sometime, his family and fate was always well known to him. He knew in the back of his mind that he would one day have to assume his role as King, and when bad times arose, he climbed out of the pit he gotten himself into and latched onto the net of stability that had been woven for him by his father. King Henry gave Hal an opportunity to shine, and Hal knew that if he came through for his father, that he would succeed. Individuals turn to stability when struggle arises. 2) Instead of settling for something less than his dream, Hal avoided being King. He was not at the point where he desired to be king and therefore ran from the opportunity of greatness. This is almost the same as my question but with a different twist. Hal was afraid of the role of King, afraid of failure and therefore ran from the opportunity. It was not the long haul that he hestiated to step into, but the final product.

The Big Question

*In times of great struggle or suffering, what remains as an individual's saving grace?
*Do individuals strive for their dreams or settle for what they think they can viably acheive?
I have chosen these two questions because I know how they apply to my own life, but I am curious as to how they apply to other people's lives and to characters in literature. For myself, in times of great struggle or suffereing Christ is my saving grace, but for others, friends, family, school, sports etc. keep them going strong. I am wondering what the most common theme is that individuals turn to for help in a time of need. Also, during my senior year I have began to think about what I want to do with the rest of my life, what I want to study, what kind of career I wish to have etc. This has brought up my second question: Do individuals strive for their dreams or settle for what they think they can viably acheive? I wonder this because I would love to have a career in medicine but am unsure if I will gain entrance into med school or succeed in that field. Many of my peers also have high goals, but are considering settling for something that is more achievable. I wonder what makes us do this and what one must accomplish or realize in order to reach their goal, or even decide to start on the journey towards it.

Oedipus

I have not been able to come to a definite question that I am passionate enough about to answer yet, but have been toying with these:
*In times of great struggle or suffering, what remains as an individual's saving grace?
*What elicits compassion for one's enemy?
*What makes individuals believe they must go on a physical journey to fulfill a spiritual purpose?
*Do individuals strive for their dreams or settle for what they think they can viably acheive?

Oedipus finds fate to be chasing him, he learns of his doomed life and goes on a physical journey in order to escape his predicament. In doing so, Oedipus makes his fate a reality. This can relate to my question concerning going on a physical journey to fulfill a spiritual purpose in that by leaving his home, where he may have been able to do good acts, and avoid killing his father and marrying his mother, he in fact inhibits his own sucess. In relation to my question concerning one's saving grace, Oedipus relies on his pride to pull him through. At first, he rejects the idea that he could be the evil in Thebes, he is too pridefull to even consider such a thing. When he finally sees the truth, once again Oedipus turns to his pride; he banishes himself from Thebes, confessing to all his wickedness and gouging out his own eyes. In punishing himself, he is keeping his pride intact. Faith versus Fate plays a large role in Oedipus and may also aid in the answering of my other questions.