What makes Good king? Compare Henry IV and Ben IV

Answer 1

Justin R. is absolutely spot on & I wish to only add/support his essential platform by taking his use of

"characterization" and making this point deeper & wider.

This kind of prompt is tasking you to sit with & understand as deeply and as carefully as is possible.

In other words, your main goal or task is to compare & contrast the two kings side by side. Then, after comparing the strengths & weaknesses of both kings, form your very own opinion or judgment of them. But notice that this also means defining for purposes of your work or the topic/discussion just what "good" means as applied to rulers. Where or how you place such a definition or explanation is entirely up to you...it is usually best to save this for last as you are also working out some of this along the way. Writing is a tool for thinking out loud onto paper or screen & for working out or processing along the way. Readers or audience will appreciate this.

It is also very vital here to understand the importance of the time, era & setting of the culture as it was then. Justin R. refers to this aspect and I am only supporting & adding to this basic aspect of analyzing & understanding characters, era-specific elements & such.

So to summarize & recap: you will also want to end up with a final judgment or evaluation of the two kings that is based on 2 things: 1. their independent or distinct traits as human characters; and 2. some kind of explanation that makes very clear your ultimate assessment & what, exactly, you are basing your opinion/assessment on...i.e. are you basing your evaluations upon current feelings & trends? Or, alternately, are you basing your assessments upon feelings, trends & sentiments that were common or popular back in the time of the two kings?

As you may be able to see, the depth & width of your understanding is what is being called upon with a prompt like this. The precise outcome only depends upon your own mind & desires.

I hope this helps...I will be on this site & around as much as I possibly can as this type of work is what I love & live for.

Jeff Honnold

Answer 2

Ah, a Characterization Question!

Here are some tips I can offer for the comparison of figures on the basis of moral goodness. First, consider what the word "good" means in the context of this question.

Good could mean:

1. A King who was admired by his people
2. A King who brought power to a nation
3. A King who had strong beliefs in others

This question sounds most likely like an argumentative question based on the characterization of a King. This means it is not necessarily about right or wrong; it is evaluating your ability to form an opinion and prove/argue it!

If you need help with this or questions like this, I am a tutor and ELA Teacher and would love to help during a session! You got this!