Rebel's grievances

• 'The King will always think him in our debt, And think we think ourselves unsatisfied, Till he hath found a time to pay us home' - Worcester (1.3)


  • as kingmakers they will never be secure as Henry always feels he owes them something - so to remove this debt he will remove them from court/ remove their power in some way
  • Henry already treating them badly, only going to get worse - gives them reason to raise an army to show he cannot treat them this way
• ‘My father, in kind heart and pity moved,/ Swore him assistance and performed it too’ - Hotspur (4.3)


  • Northumberland helped Henry out of kindness but Henry was duplicitous and lied about his ambitions - Northumberland innocent victim of a trick - has to get revenge - justification
  • Henry owes royalty to the Percy's, they gave him the throne - Henry shows deepest ingratitude
• 'cut me off the heads Of all the favourites that the absent King In deputation left behind him here When he was personal in the Irish war' - Hotspur (4.3)


  • Henry was opportunistic & ordered execution of Richard's favourites when Richard was at war in Ireland, unable to prevent it
  • ruthless and cunning approach to gaining power - criticism of manipulation & corruption of authority figures
• ‘Broke oath on oath, committed wrong on wrong’ - Hotspur (4.3)


  • Henry has broken their trust
  • justification of rebellion which is on the side of honesty and truth whilst Henry is a liar, cheat and duplicitous politician who wants power above anything else
  • Power and authority can be gained through deception/ manipulation/ corruption but maintaining power is more difficult - to maintain power you must honour your supporters as they don’t want to see themselves being exploited & manipulated
• 'the cuckoo's bird, Useth the sparrow: did oppress our nest' - Worcester (5.1)


  • metaphor for Henry's cunning & forceful usurpation of Richard's throne
  • disrupted natural order - illegitimate
  • sense of violence & injustice of Henry's actions
  • Percy's feel oppressed & marginalised under Henry's rule
  • serves to justify the rebels' cause as a fight against injustice & oppression