Archtypical Fathers
An ideal father is one who is both caring and understanding. To fit this mould, one must
express these characteristics. The outlook and actions of King Henry IV (Shakespeare, Henry IV
Part 1) and Joseph Strorm (Wyndham, The Chrysalids), suggest characters who do not match the
mould of the archetypical ideal father. King Henry IV was a father who thought not much of his
son. He sees his son as a riotous, irresponsible young man. King Henry tells Westmoreland that he
is envious of Lord Northumberland's son, Hotspur, and that he wishes he could be more
honorable. It shows King Henry's lack of trust and grasp of his son through conversations with
others. The King has a serious discussion with Prince Hal in act three, where he tells him that he is
starting to behave in the same way as King Richard, and since he is acting this way, the people
will not want him to be the King.
English: John Farmanesh-Bocca as Prince Hal in the...
Henry IV of France.
King Henry VIII Gate, Windsor Castle, EnglandThe King has his own ideas on how he thinks that the Prince
should live, and for that reason has made the relationship between them very difficult. If only the
King would have been more accepting, the Prince could have lived more like himself. Joseph
Strorm is a father with very strict rules. He cares more about the physical make up of a person than
he does about the actual personality of the person. In the story a very cold side of Joseph Strorm is
shown; he never gets close to his son at all. The only conversation shared between Joseph and his
children are harsh and is often punishment. The way Joseph responded when David jokingly
wished for a third arm showed that he cared more about his image and purity than he did for his
own child. Both King Henry and Joseph Strorm lacked the ability to look eye to eye with their
children. King Henry did not like the way his Prince ran his life, and Joseph Strorm did not care at
all about anything other than if something was pure. These fathers both wished that their children
could have been more like themselves. Both King Henry IV and Joseph Strorm are miserable
fathers and should reevaluate the way they deal with their children.