King Henry IV, part 1 (BBC Radio Collection)

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King Henry IV, part 1 (Wars of the Roses)

3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 · rating details · 9,737 ratings · 302 reviews

A play alive with escapades and action, comedy and history, Henry IV, Part One begins the transformation of the madcap Prince Hal into the splendid ruler King Henry. In it a rebellion against King and State is juxtaposed with another rebellion–the riotous misbehavior of Hal and his companions, principally Falstaff. A superbly funny liar, coward, lecher, and cheat, the larg

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Published (first published 1596)

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Nov 14, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-by-of-england, in-theater, reviewed

I hate Falstaff. Unlike other fools, he's a petty thief which, surprisingly, distracts me beyond reason. Somehow, the darker dimensions of his character render him repulsive rather than funny to me. His complexity as a character, his ability to engender love despite his lies, his humor, his bluster, and his pleasure in the joys of life should make him a favorite of mine; he seems to be one for so many others. Instead, I want him to go away, soon.

But not in this play. As truly painful as he can...more I hate Falstaff. Unlike other fools, he's a petty thief which, surprisingly, distracts me beyond reason. Somehow, the darker dimensions of his character render him repulsive rather than funny to me. His complexity as a character, his ability to engender love despite his lies, his humor, his bluster, and his pleasure in the joys of life should make him a favorite of mine; he seems to be one for so many others. Instead, I want him to go away, soon.

But not in this play. As truly painful as he can be in Henry IV, Part 2 and unneeded (but more enjoyable) The Merry Wives Of Windsor, this play needs him, like Hal needs him. King Henry IV, Part 1 has always been among my favorites of any play not just Shakespeare's. Reading it again this morning (and then seeing it this afternoon) reinforced how critical this loud, repulsive, funny, fat man is to make this play work. That it couldn't be successful without him. For the first time I came to appreciate what Shakespeare had done here.

Funny that, considering it has been a favorite. I wasn't able to appreciate the whole of it before. I'd been too focused on Prince Hal, reading too much into his motivation and development, watching every move to see what was coming in Henry V. That hasn't changed. It's all still there but this time there was so much more.

One of the reasons I love this play, all of this histories actually, is how critical they are of war. The necessity of it is justified and challenged at the same time. The mighty have too much control over the lives of the ordinary people who lie bleeding in the grasses of mother England. The opening of Part I has a wonderful speech by Henry IV about that, how war must end because of its toll on the people of his land. Of course, it should end, now that he has what he wants. A selfish being, like Falstaff, looking out for his own interests. The difference between the two of them is scope and what they control, not necessarily the justness of their claims or morality of their behavior. And is it even what they control? They are, after all, fighting for control of Hal. Both are attempting to mold him in their images and thus control the kingdom through him.

I love this one. I love the anger in it. I love the cross-cutting of the matter of state and scenes of the small band of thieves. I love that Falstaff, like Polonius in Hamlet, says the true things but since he's a fool you wonder if you should take him seriously. I love that the only indications of what Hal might do come from his behavior during those scenes. I love watching him. I'm not usually one for books about coming to terms with a parent. Usually I'm bored. I've seen it before. I've lived it. I don't need to see the prodigal son decide to prove to his daddy that he is the son the father always wanted. This time though, it is worth it and not boring and the clown isn't repugnant but needed and I get lost in it all.

The worst thing about this play is knowing what's coming when it ends, which is part II.(less)

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Jul 31, 2010 Bill Kerwin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 16th-17th-c-brit, tudor-drama

I have read this play many times, and--although Shakespeare always shows me something new--this reading gave me little insight and few surprises. I was struck with two parallels, however--one within the play itself, and one within Shakespeare's body of work.

First of all, I appreciated the subtle parallels between the Hotspur-Glendower and the Hal-Falstaff scenes. Each young man spends much of his time needling a self-important, older man who is such a windbag that the audience is almost automat...more
I have read this play many times, and--although Shakespeare always shows me something new--this reading gave me little insight and few surprises. I was struck with two parallels, however--one within the play itself, and one within Shakespeare's body of work.

First of all, I appreciated the subtle parallels between the Hotspur-Glendower and the Hal-Falstaff scenes. Each young man spends much of his time needling a self-important, older man who is such a windbag that the audience is almost automatically on the young man's side. Hotspur, whom we are inclined to respect because of his high spirits and his achievements as a warrior, is so easily irritated, and carries his own self-regard so close to the surface, that his needling of Glendower--although deserved--seem pointless, rash and injudicious. (It may, in fact, prove fatal, since Glendower fails to come to Hotspur's aid when most needed--a dereliction perhaps precipitated by the younger man's abrasive heckling.) Consequently, although we like Hotspur at the end of the scene as much as we liked him at the beginning, we respect him a good deal less.

Contrast with this the Hal-Falstaff exchanges. Hal, already characterized as a wastrel, punctures Falstaff's pomposity with such a controlled attack of pointed wit that we begin to admire him for his discipline (at least in conversation), and sense that there may be more to him than appears on the surface. In addition, Falstaff--unlike the humorless Glendower--is a worthy opponent, filled with wit and self-awareness, and the fact that Hal can more than hold his own--and keep his temper too--suggests a self-awareness, a deliberately cultivated distance from his degraded surroundings, that prepares us for his eventual transformation just as much as his soliloquy about the sun.

The other parallel--between plays--is closer, but certainly less important. Lady Percy, in her attempts to gain information about the coming rebellion, delivers a speech that is very much like Portia's speech to Brutus in similar circumstances. Their conduct afterwards, though, is different. Portia--the stoic Roman--cuts herself in the thigh to prove her ability to keep a secret, but Lady Percy--a hardy warrior's bride--tries to break her husband's little finger and force him to talk. (Like I said, this isn't that important, but it is interesting how a great dramatist can use similar materials in support of very different effects.)

Speaking overall, I am once again astonished by the great command of voices that Shakespeare demonstrates in this play. Hotspur, Falstaff, Glendower, Hal and Mistress Quickly all use language in very distinctive ways, and even the casual conversation of the servants in the stable yard is vivid and characteristic. I am also impressed with the expert and seamless blending of poetry with prose, history with comedy, rhetoric with wit.

By the time he wrote Henry IV, Shakespeare could not only do it all, but he knew exactly how--and when--to mix it up. This is the work of a master.
(less)

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Feb 26, 2013 Ken Moten rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shakespeare-stuff, history-stuff, plays

"Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere." Act V scene 4.

This is a story of 2 (3(4)) people. I really am out of my element analyzing this because it is a complete play about half of a story. Can't really say if Henry IV, Part 2 is a sequel though I suspect is not. I will give my best summary of events so far.

This play again is a story of relationships in an ever shrinking geometric shape. We begin with the title character (one would do good to remember Richard II and Henry IV last encoun...more "Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere." Act V scene 4.

This is a story of 2 (3(4)) people. I really am out of my element analyzing this because it is a complete play about half of a story. Can't really say if Henry IV, Part 2 is a sequel though I suspect is not. I will give my best summary of events so far.

This play again is a story of relationships in an ever shrinking geometric shape. We begin with the title character (one would do good to remember Richard II and Henry IV last encounter with him from that play, it informs Henry's thoughts here) and we quickly meet three other characters that make our relationship almost-rectangle that starts this play off. We have King Henry and Percy at one end and Prince Hal and Sir John Falstaff at the other. We see that Prince Hal has strained relations with his dad so he has made Falstaff his surrogate role-model/male that he looks up to (I never get the sense that they have a father son relationship. On the other hand King Henry has adopt [Henry] Percy as a surrogate son because he shows all the qualities that he wishes Hal, the future Henry V, had. This quickly breaks apart as Percy goes against the King over an unimportant matter and joins a rebellion (a very important matter) it is only now with this ~~love~~ relationship triangle that the real drama of this story is exposed.

This and the next play are a story of men making choices that effect them. I have a hard time deciding if it is a story of three men or two so I will decide that after I go through part 2 but for now I will layout perspectives and in particular I will focus on Hal for now. He is a young man with two paths/people before him. If he chooses one he will have to reject the other for good. You have his dower, guilt-ridden, serious, cold, father on one end and jolly, fun-loving, warm, hardly-serious, fat...I will let him finish,"for sweet Jack Falstaff, kind Jack Falstaff, true Jack Falstaff, valiant Jack Falstaff, and therefore more valiant, being, as he is, old Jack Falstaff...". We are foreshadowed at Act II scene 4 at what choice Hal makes and I don't think it is much of a spoiler since again there is a play called Henry V.

Falstaff was a very interesting character that I almost liked I'm still on the fence at how I feel towards him. He can carry a scene like no other in this play but his character (personality-wise) does not make him desirable to emulate. He was on thin ice with Hal and it seemed Hal did what he could to warn him and try to encourage him to take him more seriously but Falstaff's shameful, cowardly behavior at the climatic battle seals his fate in Hal's eyes and it is only a matter of time before he is cast out of Hal's circle permanently.
We do get, surprisingly, Falstaff do a very deep soliloquy on the nature of honor in the face of war and possible death [and why he refuses to risk his life]:

"Honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if Honour prick me off when I come on? how then? Can Honour set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is Honour? a word. What is that word, Honour? Air. A trim reckoning! — Who hath it? He that died o' Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. Is it sensible then? Yes, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it: therefore I'll none of it. Honour is a mere 'scutcheon, and so ends my catechism."

I do wonder how this man became a knight in the first place.

In the end Hal's bravery in the battle, not to mention his triumph over Percy, restores him in his father's-and the country's-eyes. I would speculate on more but I will pick up when I review part 2.

Falstaff: "Dost thou hear, Hal? thou know'st, in the state of innocency Adam fell; and what should poor Jack Falstaff do in the days of villainy? Thou see'st I have more flesh than another man; and therefore more frailty."(less)

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Aug 03, 2011 Andrea Lakly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I saw this performed by the company that performs at the Globe Theater in London. The performance was taped and the played back in movie theaters across the US. The first act is slow, but the end is very moving. Prince Hal (Jamie Parker) comes in to his own and accepts responsibility for the kingdom. Harry Percy(Sam Crane) is one of the beautiful people, and I cried tears of bloom when I realized he was going to die. Roger Allam played Falstaff in the production I watched, and he was AMAZING --...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

Another great one! If I remember right, the second part of Henry IV is not as great...I'll have to kinda slog through it on my way to Henry V, which at this point is like having sex with your wife. Henry V, not slogging through 2 Henry IV, I mean. I've read Henry V like fifty times and seen the movie at least five - my mom really liked that thing. That and Amadeus. Remember back when VCRs were for watching old movies instead of new ones? ("No, because I'm not a million years old like you." "Get...more Another great one! If I remember right, the second part of Henry IV is not as great...I'll have to kinda slog through it on my way to Henry V, which at this point is like having sex with your wife. Henry V, not slogging through 2 Henry IV, I mean. I've read Henry V like fifty times and seen the movie at least five - my mom really liked that thing. That and Amadeus. Remember back when VCRs were for watching old movies instead of new ones? ("No, because I'm not a million years old like you." "Get off my lawn.") Anyway, after thinking about it for six and a half sentences, the sex / Henry V comparison doesn't make any sense, so never mind.

I found myself losing focus sometimes during 1 Henry IV, and I'm not sure whether it was the context - I had little free time this weekend and I found myself reading it in small bites, sometimes while the wife watched cooking reality shows. Not a great way to read Shakespeare - or maybe it was that it's been a while since I read a bunch of Shakespeare in quick succession, and my Shakespeare muscles have gone all flabby. We'll see.

Where Richard II was very faithful to the actual history, Shakespeare departs more readily from the strict truth of things in the Henry IV plays. He throws a lot more stuff in from non-historical characters, Falstaff being the obvious one, possibly because he needs some padding to make this into two different plays; I'm not sure why he did two plays, but maybe I'll get it more after the second one. (I've read all this before, but it's been a while so I don't remember how 2 Henry IV ends.) The dramatic arc in this first part works perfectly, anyway; the climactic (and completely fabricated) duel between the young Henry V and Hotspur makes a great Act V.

Interesting, by the way, that Henry V is at least co-lead with Henry IV in this first part, and he's clearly the main character in the second. Just sayin'. I wonder whether we'd see these plays differently if 2 Henry IV had been called 1 Henry V. I think Henry IV gets less attention than Henry V in part because it's two plays, which makes people more anxious about reading them. More commitment, y'know? But if you take 1 Henry IV on its own...well, it's not as good as Richard II, but it's very good.

I'm rambling badly, aren't I? Truth is I have work to do and I don't want to do it. But okay, I should get to it. See you soon for 2 Henry IV.

Saccio's book, by the way, is great. Fun to read, really informative. My pattern has been to read the chapter about the play, then the play, then my Riverside Shakespeare's intro to the play; it's working out nicely. There's a lot of flipping between books involved, though; I'm going to buy a physical copy of Saccio today so I can reference it better. Paging around on a Kindle totally sucks.(less)

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Feb 11, 2013 Bettie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, classic, britain-england, fraudio, historical-fiction, re-read, winter-20122013, willsphernalia, re-visit-2013

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Henry IV - Part 1

2/4 When King Henry is threatened by rebellion, Prince Hal must join him to defeat the rebels.

From wiki:Hotspur: Sir Henry Percy KG (20 May 1364 – 21 July 1403) was the eldest son of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, and Margaret Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby, and Alice de Audley. He was the most famous soldier of his day, and was slain at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403.

Jeremy Irons as King Henry IV
Tom Hiddleston as Prince Hal
Simon Russ...more

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May 04, 2013 Ben rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: english-lit, historical-fiction, plays

You stiffly force the turn of the revolving door flanked by glass panels flashing the buzz of the downtown street. You traverse the shimmering lobby floor and sway with your shifting weight as you await the arrival of the elevator. When it arrives, you leap from the doors as a rush of people flood from the car. Then you enter, alone, light the button for the wrong floor, then the correct floor, and dance your hyper finger on the "Door Close" button. You relax, stare at the glowing numbers count...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Traci rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This play was one of the more difficult Shakespeare plays for me to decipher at first. I later found out it was because he was covering different class/regional dialects. The other thing that made it a little confusing to read was that some of the characters had 2-4 different names/titles. After my third reading, I finally got the gist of the story. Much of the play focused on the dynamic of father-son relationships. The only women mentioned were: a concerned wife accused of being a nag (Lady Pe...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Stephanie Flood rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

King Henry IV really gleams with literary elements that enhances and contrasts the differences between the lower-class and noble characters. Poetry is spoken by the nobles and prose reflects informal and lower-class characters. The characters are pretty weathered and complex in this play. King Henry IV has been transformed from being somewhat straightforward and morally balanced in Richard II (always obsessed with this lust for honor), into a more plagued person of power, haunted with doubt and...more King Henry IV really gleams with literary elements that enhances and contrasts the differences between the lower-class and noble characters. Poetry is spoken by the nobles and prose reflects informal and lower-class characters. The characters are pretty weathered and complex in this play. King Henry IV has been transformed from being somewhat straightforward and morally balanced in Richard II (always obsessed with this lust for honor), into a more plagued person of power, haunted with doubt and regret. He is mostly focused on his son, Harry, who will inherit the throne when he dies. Harry is the main character in this play and really shows a lot of sides to himself, who begins as a forgotten prince, deliberately mingling with the commoners, drunkards and thieves in a tavern, purposefully making a reputation that deflects any kind of honor what-so-ever, and thus, expectations, so that one day, he can establish his honor and surprise everyone of the person he is, especially his father, the King. He has found a companion in a clever, inventive but deceiving thief, Falstaff, who teaches him the ropes on England's underground culture. Falstaff, in turn, is a fat, aged, criminally corrupt man with a good heart, who plays comedic relief in some aspects of the play, and also a foil to Henry (Nick-named Hal to Falstaff and friends.) Then, there is spritely Hotspur, the nephew of King Henry, who is bloodthirsty for revenge, since he believes the King really used him and his family, and stole the throne wrongfully. As a subplot, there are scenes of Hotspur and his wife, who is a smart and loving woman that yearns for her husband to treat her as an equal, but he doesn't, revealing another side and I would say flaw, in his character, and the "honor" that he fights for, this adding a little struggle of feminism in this time (set in the early 1400's, two centuries before this play was actually written) when patriarchy ruled the class systems. This play involves heated family rivalry, a battle, the fall of some characters, Henry's transformation from common to noble, and it really has a "to-be-continued" ending, since the King in the end, prevails, but their fight for destroying the rebellion will continue until there is peace in the land. (less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Tasmia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, school-related-2013

I kind of adore the three-fold feel of much of this - the various scenes contrasting and juxtaposing the very different environments, personalities and natures of Henry and his court, Percy and his entourage, and Hal's misadventures with Falstaff and co. I probably wouldn't have had much patience for Falstaff if I'd read this outside of a classroom setting - having the benefit of an excellent prof's perspective and arguments, I learned to admire the complexity he adds to the father-son story of...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Joyce rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 9th

Henry the Fourth Candy Tree, 2000, 72pp, $10.99
Shakespeare ISBN:957-8340-69-9

Everyone thinks being a king is the most fortunate thing in the world. But is that true? Well, King Henry the Fourth was the king of England and he eventually had a lot of worries...

Henry the Fourth is a fiction written by Shakespeare. King Henry has three sons: Thomas, John, and Wales. It sounds good but only if there is no Hotspur, Duke Northenbrant’s son. As a young general who always win all the battle, Duke is sup...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Dave marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: calibre, fiction

SUMMARY: Henry IV sits on a usurped throne, his conscience and his nobles in revolt, while his son Hal is immersed in a self-indulgent life of revelry with the notorious Sir John Falstaff. Shakespeare explores questions of kingship and honor in this masterly mingling of history, comedy, and tragedy. Under the editorial supervision of Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen, two of today's most accomplished Shakespearean scholars, this Modern Library series incorporates definitive texts and authoritativ...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Klytia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Ultimamente le mie Shakesperian's waves hanno delle origini piuttosto bizzarre. Questa nasce più o meno ancora per colpa di Kennet Branagh che per il ruolo di Loki sceglie un attore inglese che non è solo attraente (grazie Kenneth, lo sai subisco il fascino dei malvagi) ma anche piuttosto bravo il quale presto apparirà sugli schermi televisi, almeno quelli inglesi, nel ruolo che a sua volta fu di Branagh ossia Henry V. Poichè in qualche modo intendo vedere questa trasposizione ho deciso di fare...more Ultimamente le mie Shakesperian's waves hanno delle origini piuttosto bizzarre. Questa nasce più o meno ancora per colpa di Kennet Branagh che per il ruolo di Loki sceglie un attore inglese che non è solo attraente (grazie Kenneth, lo sai subisco il fascino dei malvagi) ma anche piuttosto bravo il quale presto apparirà sugli schermi televisi, almeno quelli inglesi, nel ruolo che a sua volta fu di Branagh ossia Henry V. Poichè in qualche modo intendo vedere questa trasposizione ho deciso di fare un bel ripassone delle due opere in inglese ma sempre con una pessima traduzione italiana a portata di mano in caso di emergenza.
Che Shakespeare sia un genio della letteratura è fuori discussione: per il suo stile, il modo di approfondire la psicologia dei personaggi - ci sono romanzieri che nemmeno con le loro descrizioni riescono a dare una tale profondità ai personaggi come invece lui riesce a fare con i soli dialoghi - per i temi assoluti e universali che tratta nelle sue opere.
Riprendendo in mano questi due drammi mi sono resa conto che Shakespeare è un genio anche per altre ragioni: prima ancora che ne venisse data una definizione, o se ne abusasse, lui conosceva già il potere del marketing, del target di pubblico, dei sequel e degli spin-offs.
L'Henry IV non è solo un dramma storico infarcito di discorsi orgogliosi ed eroici e battaglie sanguinarie per un pubblico maschile.
Shakespeare presenta un "malvagio", Sir Henry Percy detto Hotspur (Sperone Ardente), tanto appassionato nel portare avanti la sua ribellione quanto ammirato addirittura dallo stesso re e inserisce una seconda trama verso cui noi donne siamo abbastanza sensibili: il giovane affascinante e scapestrato che si redime agli occhi della famiglia. Questo giovane è il Principe Henry il quale ama circondarsi di fanfaroni, tra cui vi è Sir John Falstaff, e preferisce passare più tempo a gozzovigliare alla taverna che non a discutere di faccende politiche al consiglio, tant'è che il suo posto viene preso dal suo più giovane fratello John of Lancaster.
Ma quando la guerra è alle porte Henry si mostrerà accanto al padre sul campo di battaglia e la descrizione che ne fa Vernon
All furnish'd, all in arms;
All plumed like estridges that with the wind
Baited like eagles having lately bathed;
Glittering in golden coats, like images;
As full of spirit as the month of May,
And gorgeous as the sun at midsummer;
Wanton as youthful goats, wild as young bulls.
I saw young Harry, with his beaver on,
His cuisses on his thighs, gallantly arm'd
Rise from the ground like feather'd Mercury,
And vaulted with such ease into his seat,
As if an angel dropp'd down from the clouds,
To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus
And witch the world with noble horsemanship.
non è che il preludio della sua apoteosi: il duello che ingaggerà con Hotspur.
Il pubblico, maschile e femminile, è così conquistato, ma le prove per il principe Henry non sono ancora finite è solo finita la prima parte, si riprende con Henry IV, parte seconda.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Jocelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: five-out-of-five, drama

I completely understand why one would love Falstaff, I do (and I do as well to a point), but overall he encompasses many characteristics I just don't like: he's a borderline pathological liar, a coward, a thief and he relies on his surrogate-fatherly relationship with Prince Harry to get out of what he rightly deserves. (But what really irked me was that Falstaff just wouldn't toss Prince Harry his goddamned sword in the middle of a freaking battle and took out his wine skin instead.) I do admit...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Nurul rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just as I did with Richard II, I read this while watching The Hollow Crown: King Henry IV, Part 1 (2012), starring Jeremy Irons, Tom Hiddleston and Simon Russell Beale (who shone the brightest as Falstaff imo). They were both tremendous -- I very much enjoyed both reading the play AND watching the film.

My favourite passage has to be this one in particular:

(view spoiler)...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Andrew added it · review of another edition

(Henry IV, Parts I and II) I could not help but notice the way in which the two worlds of the play – the politics of court and country, the debauchery of hostel and highway – never quite seem to come together as a whole. Prince Hal presumably carries this disparity in his heart, yet the audience also yearns for some dramatic mending that the rejection of Falstaff, although entirely plausible, never delivers. Of course, some of this allows for the cliffhanger ending, which forecasts the new king’...more (Henry IV, Parts I and II) I could not help but notice the way in which the two worlds of the play – the politics of court and country, the debauchery of hostel and highway – never quite seem to come together as a whole. Prince Hal presumably carries this disparity in his heart, yet the audience also yearns for some dramatic mending that the rejection of Falstaff, although entirely plausible, never delivers. Of course, some of this allows for the cliffhanger ending, which forecasts the new king’s adventure in France. Some of this also surely reflects the disjointed times of England’s civil wars. Yet despite those explanations, there still remains a strange disconnect for me between these two worlds: the long and eloquent speeches of the king, the prince, and other nobles grow more and more estranged from Falstaff’s own ramblings. Where once the two worlds served as equal antagonists to one another, by the end of the second play, they seem to have grown entirely apart. Perhaps this mimics Hal’s own drift and reformation, yet it still makes for an unfulfilling conclusion, not unlike the way Malvolio’s torture and subsequent bitterness unbalances the general unity of resolution at end of “Twelfth Night.” In the latter, our sympathy lingers with the victim of cruel prank despite the pretty pairing of lovers that ends the play; in the former, we realize that even though the center of the play’s world might be the king and his justice, there is undoubtedly a great lack in that world, even if Falstaff is literally too soiled to fill it himself. One is left wondering why we’ve been given such fascinating partial characters as Henry IV, Prince Hal, and Falstaff yet no true protagonist to bestow our loyalty upon. Perhaps this makes for a lesser play; perhaps it also makes for a telling enactment of the playwright’s frustration with the human factors that create historical unevenness, which itself echoes England’s own anxiety about Hal’s ascension.(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This could have been called Henry V: The Prequel. The life of Henry IV is secondary to the development of Prince Hal from over-privileged rich kid to heir apparent. Hal’s unprincipled father figure, Sir John Falstaff, is well known to be one of Shakespeare’s most engaging characters. Without shame, he lies, steals and drinks. When caught, he adroitly changes topics (or lies) and never pauses to worry about the consequences. Witnessing the development of the carousing Hal into Prince Henry can ha...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Justin Walter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was assigned this play for a class-first time I ever read it. Not really excited at first, but it has grown on me as I've read it more and more and delved deeper into the characters and their motives. It really is the personalities involved in this play that make it what it is, there's no supernatural spectacle like in some of Shakespeare's other plays, just people interacting with one another and making decisions that impact each other's lives. You know, drama. The real kind.
The ideological...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Trevor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, literature

I reviewed Richard II in January and decided at the time I would review all of the four plays in the series. A mere six months later I’m up to the second play – how hopeless is that? I intend to get through the next couple in what will seem (in comparison at any rate) to be me zipping along at a rate of knots.

I had to read this in high school – so thought I would be more familiar with it than it turns out that I am. There were things I remember very well – Falstaff’s ‘honour’ speech and Hal’s so...more I reviewed Richard II in January and decided at the time I would review all of the four plays in the series. A mere six months later I’m up to the second play – how hopeless is that? I intend to get through the next couple in what will seem (in comparison at any rate) to be me zipping along at a rate of knots.

I had to read this in high school – so thought I would be more familiar with it than it turns out that I am. There were things I remember very well – Falstaff’s ‘honour’ speech and Hal’s soliloquy at the start where he compares himself to a piece of shining metal on the dull ground. But most of the play had faded to background noise and nothingness.

People often say that the great thing about Shakespeare is that none of his bad guys are ever just bad guys. They tend to be ‘rounded’ characters that we even feel a bit of sympathy for – well, except Iago, of course. What is particularly interesting in this play is how few of the characters are in the least bit likeable. Falstaff is sometimes funny, but generally not even that – a coward and a liar, a drunkard and a glutton, I felt I was meant to laugh at him, rather than with him, but could hardly manage that. His ultra ego – Sir Toby Belch from Twelfth Night – is much more likeable and much more funny, I think. The King is at best annoying, his son Hal is a pain in the bum, and Hotspur comes across as the kind of person who spent too long as a child pulling the wings of flies. To be honest, there isn’t a single character you would like to have over for dinner. The scene where son saves father’s life and father is surprised is the kind of scene where you just want to bang heads together.

If Richard II is about the divine right of kings coming to an end – this play is about the guilt that comes from bringing about that end. Henry IV is only an incidental character in this play, really, despite it being named after him. At the start he wants to go off to the Holy Land and kill some Arabs (it is remarkable how long this has been seen as a bit of a panacea in the West – done something wrong? Feel a bit bad about it? Having trouble at home? Why not head off to the Holy Land and kill some Muslim Infidels! All will be forgiven.), but there is trouble at home in Scotland and Wales that puts off his plans. He is also mistreating (from a sense of guilt) those who helped to bring him to power. This would be okay if he was doing so in a Machiavellian way (they made me do it and now I’m punishing them) – but he is doing it unthinkingly. Not a great idea alienating your supporters without a really good reason.

The problem is that the young Hotspur is not only making himself look good in various military campaigns, but in so doing is making Hal, the King’s son, look decidedly worse. Hal has taken to drinking in bars and chasing after loose women with a fat old guy called Falstaff. Hal has decided to do this because when he finally does come good the brightness of his good deed will shine so much brighter against the black background of his previous bad deeds. This is almost a return to the divine right in the previous play – God will provide an occasion when he will be able to shine – but this hardly seems a reasonable thing for him to actively hope for, in fact, rely upon. There is an arrogance to this sort of idea – the kind of stupidity young men are all too prone to – that rings very true, but is also incredibly irritating at the same time. The play is really about us moving towards Young Hal and Young Hotspur doing a ‘this kingdom isn’t big enough for the two of us’ scene towards the end. And so it proves. They almost use that very line.

I really wanted to like Hal more – but that was quite out of the question. I probably would have liked to have liked Hotspur more too, but how he treats his wife is anything but loveable and sealed his fate for me. As I said, Falstaff has some wonderful anti-war lines, but then he does take money from people so they can avoid fighting in the war and keeps the wages of others that he then ensures will die - ‘food for powder’ he calls them, or cannon fodder as we might. Like I said, it is hard to chuckle away with him in quite the way we can over Sir Toby’s torturing of Malvolio, at least up until the very end of Twelfth Night when even those chuckles become a little uncomfortable.

If Richard II is a tragedy dressed as a history, there is part of me that would like to say this is a comedy dressed as a history – that isn’t quite true, but it is close enough for me to nearly be able to get away with it.

Bring on Henry IV part II, I say.
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Dec 05, 2010 Stuart rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really one of the best plays ever written, this show is a tightly woven exploration of a young man's coming of age and the moment when he must choose between father figures, indentities and destinies. Young Prince Hal is a fantastically complex character- charming, selfish, amoral, benevolent, smart and passionate, and his struggle to find a balance between the cold, calculating responsibility of his father and the indulgent, gluttonous excess of the jovial drunkard Falstaff is one that anyone c...more

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Jun 10, 2009 Katherine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: underrated

All right, this was my favorite Shakespeare for a long time, and I'm writing it up by itself because I think it's under-appreciated. (And believe me, I've had to spend a LOT of time with Bill.)

The play opens on Henry IV, who in his youth de-throned Richard II. Henry IV is now aging and faced with a band of rebels who may have legitimate grievances but are so disorganized it's a wonder their army forms a united front and not 100 million fistfights. Henry hasn't lost a covetous part of himself - h...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Arcadius rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-classics, i-hf-c300-to-1659

This tremendous play manages to encompass just about everything – tragedy, comedy, high life, low life, heroism, criminality, rebellion, battlefield, palace, tavern. And the variety of character is almost as wide – not only, and most obviously, in the key roles of Hotspur, Hal, Falstaff and the King, but also in the minor parts. The various nobles embroiled in their lethal game of political intrigue are entirely distinct personalities.

Best things about 1H4 are the comedy (funnier than in most of...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: elizabethan-lit, brit-lit, historical-fiction, classics, plays, shakespeare

Now this (Henry IV, Part I) is such an improvement over Richard II! It feels like there are legitimate consequences at stake here. Bolingbroke (now Henry IV), newly ascended to the throne, is hoping for a somewhat smooth transition into his reign. He even hopes to bolster support by going off to wage a holy war…but wait! More pressing matters at home prevent that, namely, a number of his lords are rebelling against him, challenging his claim to the throne. (For those keeping track, this is like...more Now this (Henry IV, Part I) is such an improvement over Richard II! It feels like there are legitimate consequences at stake here. Bolingbroke (now Henry IV), newly ascended to the throne, is hoping for a somewhat smooth transition into his reign. He even hopes to bolster support by going off to wage a holy war…but wait! More pressing matters at home prevent that, namely, a number of his lords are rebelling against him, challenging his claim to the throne. (For those keeping track, this is like the tenth time that the legitimacy of a king has been questioned in Shakespeare’s histories. It was apparently something that just came with the office.) To further complicate matters, the Scots and the Welsh are also rising up in protest, and the unwieldy lords are more than happy to assist them in their unrest.

To further further complicate matters, Henry’s son (the future Henry v) is something of a reprobate. He slums around with ne’er-do-wells and lowlifes in seedy bars. And he also gets himself wrapped up in a highway robbery plot (fairly willingly, mind you), which is not very kingly, to say the least.

These plot lines are what made this play so compelling for me. There’s a strong sense of realism in place. Henry wants to be a good king, a fair king, but politics and life gets in the way, and he’s forced to address other matters. Meanwhile, his son’s actions and acquaintances are a concern as well. This, of course, is a storyline dating back to the first teenagers, but it’s so real and relatable that one can’t help but immediately understand it—especially given the significance of the Prince of Wales, future king, in the scheme of things.

What I have the most difficulty with is what I was expecting to be one of things I enjoyed most about the play: Falstaff. The overweight, bumbling, hyperbolic, cowardly, drunken blowhard of a knight is there for comedic relief and to grant some levity to some of Prince Henry’s more nefarious activities. That said, for as humorous as Falstaff is, his shortcomings are what make up his character. There’s very little to be said in his favor other than: 1) he’s harmless and 2) he has a loyalty to Prince Henry. Furthermore, Falstaff is a fictional character, which isn’t entirely foreign in Shakespeare’s histories, but never before has there been a fictional character with such a central role in these plays. All of this kind of took me out of the play at times, when I wish it wouldn’t.

All the same, the play is brilliant, and was a truly surprising find. I’m very glad to have read it, and I’m very excited to read Part II. First, though, I’ve got to tackle The Merry Wives of Windsor in which friend Falstaff plays a central role, and one I suspect is more fitting for him.
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Mar 07, 2012 Catherine Mustread rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: plays, historical, england, 1400s, classics

Though titled, Henry IV, this play actually deals more with Prince Hal who later becomes Henry V. The Prince seems to be going through a youthful revolt, cavorting with Falstaff and having a grand old time, until his father's throne is threatened by another Henry, Henry Percy, who has come to avenge the death and dethroning of Richard II.

This play seemed logical to follow Richard II, as it does historically. Turns out though that Shakespeare wrote two other plays between Richard II and Henry IV,...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Dusty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graduate-school, read-in-2011

1588. The Spanish Armada is sunk. Queen Elizabeth secures her power over England and its expanding empire. Ever the savvy businessman, William Shakespeare rewrites history into a series of "history" plays that celebrate England's history of military and political prowess. Perhaps the most famous of these -- rather, the one with the most famous Falstaff scenes -- is Henry IV, Part 1. In basic entertainment value the play isn't Shakespeare's best: Though Falstaff and Prince Hal swap deliciously sn...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Ben rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This work lagged at parts; revived only by the fun mannered dialogue between John Falstaff (also a character in "The Merry Wives of Windsor") and Prince Hal (particularly the end of Act II, Scene IV, at the Boar's Head Tavern). While the bulk of this historical play is about war and conflict, an underlying story deals with the bond between father and son, the son who seems at times too foolish and carefree for his father's liking. After Hal saves King Henry's life at the end, Henry says: "Stay a...more

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Apr 05, 2010 Billie Pritchett rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 is much different than his comedies and tragedies, because, even though it's a fictionalized account of the rise of England's King Henry V, it more approximates to real life in its characterizations. Here are some examples related to the fact that neither King Henry IV's camp nor Worcester's camp are all good or evil. Characters on both sides have legitimate reasons for war: King Henry IV, for example, is attempting to keep his kingdom united, while Worcest...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: drama

Recently, I've decided to read all the Shakespeare plays I missed reading in university (most of the history plays and romances). Henry IV was my first choice because I'd heard a lot about Falstaff, and decided that I could use a few laughs. And yes, Falstaff did offer some humour, but surprisingly, the play won me over because of the Harry/Hotsput competition, the Henry/Harry relationship, and the brief moments when women actually appear in the play.

I liked Harry from the beginning, but I don't...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Dina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic

I just don't love the history plays. I think Henry IV was an egomaniac for usurping the crown from Richard II, and even though Richard II was a pretty wretched king, the mess between the two of them brought division and bloodshed to England for years to come. Henry continues to be manipulative and false in much of his dealings here -- no wonder Hal wanted to hang out in taverns with Falstaff and his gang. I don't really like Prince Hal either, though. He is just as manipulative and political as...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Marty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: front-room-bookshelf

It was a strange road that led me to King Henry IV, Part 1. I have many notable Shakespeare plays on my "to read" list and certainly I would have reached for them first. I mean, this one is a history, it's about a King/time I have little to no knowledge about, it's the first part of two parts. Nothing about any of this is immediately alluring. Yet I enthusiastically chose to read this before all others? The strange answer to this mystery is The Merry Wives of Windsor.

This other, scarcely recogni...more

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About William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been tr...more William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Scholars believe that he died on his fifty-second birthday, coinciding with St George’s Day. It is an interesting idea that English writer is so closely identified with the Patron Saint of England!

At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of the playing company the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.

Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. Next he wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest examples in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime, and in 1623, two of his former theatrical colleagues published the First Folio, a collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare's.

Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century. The Romantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare's genius, and the Victorians hero-worshipped Shakespeare with a reverence that George Bernard Shaw called "bardolatry". In the twentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly popular today and are consistently performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.

According to historians, Shakespeare write 37 plays and 154 sonnets throughout the span of his life. Shakespeare's writing average was 1.5 plays a year since he first started writing in 1589. There have been plays and sonnets contributed to Shakespeare that were not authentically written by the great master of language and literature.
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“[Thou] mad mustachio purple-hued maltworms!” — 159 people liked it

“I know you all, and will awhile uphold
The unyoked humour of your idleness.
Yet herein will I imitate the sun,
Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To smother up his beauty from the world,
That when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wondered at
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapours that did seem to strangle him.
If all the year were playing holidays,
To sport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they seldom come, they wished-for come,
And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.
So, when this loose behaviour I throw off
And pay the debt I never promisèd,
By how much better than my word I am,
By so much shall I falsify men’s hopes;
And like bright metal on a sullen ground,
My reformation, glitt’ring o’er my fault,
Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes
Than that which hath no foil to set it off.
I’ll so offend to make offence a skill,
Redeeming time when men think least I will.” — 17 people liked it

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King Henry IV, part 1 (Wars of the Roses)

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