The Crown
A monarch's crown is always a symbol of his power (indeed, the term "the crown" is often used metonymically to refer to the monarch himself), but 2 Henry IV places even heavier significance on this symbol throughout the play. The crown as depicted both as a physical object and as a figurative manifestation of the burden of leadership. King Henry notes that the weight of the crown makes him weary, meaning that the responsibility he wields as king is draining him of his energy. When Hal takes the crown after thinking his father is dead, King Henry decides that his possession of the crown is a reflection of Hal's selfish pursuit of the throne and desire for his father to be dead.
Weeds
In 1 Henry IV, a number of characters often relied on horticultural or gardening metaphors as a means of describing the state of England: the country is a garden which should be tended to by the gardener, or the king. In 2 Henry IV, these metaphors are recycled with a focus on what happens when the garden is not cared for: it becomes overrun with "weeds," or dangerous threats to the country's stability. Furthermore, Henry also compares Prince Hal to a weed-laden garden, figuring Hal's unsavory companions as threats to an effective kingship in Hal's future.
Rumour
At the beginning of the play, a figure appears on stage as the personification of rumor. This figure represents the dangerous role that gossip, hearsay, lies, and deception will play in the play's plot development, while also contributing to the play's paranoid, uncertain tone as the king's health declines and Prince Hal's reliability is still questionable.
Bodies of Water
Water becomes an important symbol over the course of the play, particularly bodies of water that can "swell" and wreak havoc on their surroundings. For those in King Henry's court, these swelling bodies of water symbolize the potential rebellions that the king faces – dangerous, destructive, and often unpredictable.
Disease and Infection
Disease, illness, and infection appear as common motifs among Shakespeare's history plays, as these concepts are used to conceptualize the "health" of the commonwealth of England. In 2 Henry IV, the motif of disease is present both in a literal sense –King Henry is sick and dying – and its more common figurative sense, referring to a nation plagued by rebellion.
