Prince Hal in Henry IV Part 1 is a character that flip flops from being funny to serious throughout the play. At the intro of the play he is goofing around with Falstaff and planning a fake heist with Poins. Their plan is simple, they will pretend to not show to a robbery with Falstaff and three others, but then rob them after they had just robed their victims. This is a perfect example of how Hal is portrayed as a comic character is some parts of the play. However, immediately after he makes this plan with Poins, his character has a shift when left alone. Ending the fourth scene of act one with his explanation of why he chooses to surround himself with thieves and drunkards. Essentially, he is pretending to be like these men, but has an ulterior
