Deconstruction of History and Power Relations in William Shakespeare's Henry IV

The present study seeks to read Shakespeare’s 1 Henry IV from a cultural materialist perspective. As cultural materialism attempts to bring into consideration those marginalized and dissident voices which threaten the legitimacy and coherence of the dominant discourses from within, this study introduces Hotspur as one of the representatives of such dissidence in Shakespeare’s 1 Henry IV. Through his act of rebellion against the king, Hotspur problematizes the authenticity of the official ideological doctrine regarding divinity of the kings still prevalent during playwright’s time. He questions the plausibility of such a discourse. By challenging this notion, Hotspur doubts the rightfulness of King Henry IV who achieved his throne not through the will of God but through deceit and trickery. Although he is killed by his rival Prince Harry at the end of the play, through his disobedience Hotspur puts the political and ideological systems into disarray.