Henry IV, Part 1 (Modern Library Classics)

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Henry IV, Part 1 (Modern Library Classics)

by William Shakespeare, Jonathan Bate (Editor), Eric Rasmussen (Goodreads Author) (Editor)

3.70 · rating details · 6,286 ratings · 181 reviews

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...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published August 25th 2009 by Modern Library (first published 1597)

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Nov 14, 2010

Elizabeth rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: in-by-of-england, in-theater, elizabethan-my-dear, 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 painfu...moreI 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

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Shelves: 16th-17th-c-brit

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 ...moreI 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 stableyard are 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.
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Aug 03, 2011

Andrea Lakly rated it

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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 AMAZIN...more

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Jul 12, 2010

Alex rated it

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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 ...moreAnother 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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Oct 27, 2011

Justin Walter rated it

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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 i...more

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Jun 24, 2011

Trevor rated it

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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’ spee...moreI 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

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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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Nov 10, 2009

Bettie rated it

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Shelves: adventure, classic, britain-england, fraudio, historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Cry God For Harry - An adaptation from Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 and Henry V

First broadcast 1977 (R7 repeat 2004, 2005)

Cast:
Robert Lang, Alan Howard, Brewster Mason, Peter Egen,
Donald Huston, David Buck, Susan Thomas, Maurice
Denham, Michael Godfrey, John Hollis, John Bull, Patricia
Hayes, Bernard Gallaher, David Horovich, Tony McEwen,
Stephen Thorne, Joe Dunlop, Victoria Plucknit, Christopher
Saul, David Strom, Brenda Bruce, Hugh Dixon, Garr...more

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Jun 10, 2009

Katherine rated it

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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...more

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Oct 21, 2011

Arcadius rated it

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 ...more

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Feb 25, 2011

Dusty rated it

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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 deli...more

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Apr 05, 2010

Billie Pritchett rated it

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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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Mar 23, 2011

Marty rated it

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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 o...more

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Dec 31, 2010

Marija rated it

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Shelves: classics, drama, favorites, medieval-renaissance

Who knew that Shakespeare was the man who penned the first episode of Doctor Who with his creation of the character Falstaff! Falstaff is a man who can travel all of time and space, visiting anything that ever happened or ever will. Where can we start?

Falstaff makes his first appearance in this play, which takes place around 1402-03, landing in the midst of the historical battles of Humbleton Hill and Shrewsbury. He supposedly stays around, making a further appearance in this play’...moreWho knew that Shakespeare was the man who penned the first episode of Doctor Who with his creation of the character Falstaff! Falstaff is a man who can travel all of time and space, visiting anything that ever happened or ever will. Where can we start?

Falstaff makes his first appearance in this play, which takes place around 1402-03, landing in the midst of the historical battles of Humbleton Hill and Shrewsbury. He supposedly stays around, making a further appearance in this play’s sequel, Henry IV, Part II, before once again setting off to meet new adventures. Falstaff makes his final landing in The Merry Wives of Windsor, a play that takes place some 200 years after Henry IV’s reign, circa 1600, looking not a day older than his fifty or so years, acting as sprightly as ever and up to all kinds of mischief and mayhem. It’s wonderful! I just think this is so cool. ;)

Falstaff brings light and levity to a dark subject, a king, Henry IV facing dissent among the ranks—specifically from old friends who had once helped him ascend to the throne. Adding more heartache to the king’s plate is his son, Hal, who keeps company with rogues, the head of the gang: Sir John Falstaff. This section of the play could easily pass for a story in a modern young adult novel: a son’s attempts to rebel from his parentage and destiny. Hal is the rebel prince of Wales, who along with his gang associate with mere commoners, taverns and ladies of the night… his current chief pleasure: arranging his dissolute friends as highwaymen, to rob poor weary travelers of their earnings. Though I should also say another chief pleasure of Hal’s is making Falstaff the butt of his jokes. But Falstaff is not so easily daunted and easily parries Hal’s cutting remarks, always getting the final shot. These verbal duels are priceless. Falstaff’s secret to a successful conclusion: “The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life.”

The baddies—the rebel faction—aren’t exactly portrayed as true villains here. They have an equal amount of presence on stage as our heroes, but like them, the baddies do have moments of comedy interlaced with their plans of sedition. There’s good feeling on both sides, neither of which really want war, but current circumstances preclude any other solution; there’s no turning back. The ending is surely bittersweet, but with the presence of Falstaff, it doesn’t end with sad remembrances of things past. There’s a sense of goodwill and a hopeful future, definitely a good story on which to end the year and begin the new.
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Jan 31, 2010

Kim rated it

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King Henry IV, Part One was the last book we read in Shakespeare this year. The book was about the history of King Henry and the rebellion. The only think I really liked about the book was the theme of honor and how each character saw the word in a different light. Falstaff, a knight, is the character that brings some humor into the play and sees honor as just another word. Hotspur, who runs the rebellion against King Henry IV, looks at honor as one of the most important things and is almost obs...more

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Jun 16, 2011

Mona rated it

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Shelves: 16th-century-lit, britain, drama, historical-fiction

This was the first play I managed to get through for the Shakespeare/School of Life challenges. It is not the first play I was supposed to read, though. Richard II was to be attempted first, and attempt I did through various media (print, audio, stage), but I did not make it through. So Henry IV Part I is my first Shakespearean history play.

From what I've read about the series (Richard II, Henry IV Part I, and Henry IV Part 2), this one is generally considered the most accessible. In ...more

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Jul 26, 2009

Jake rated it

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Recommends it for: "Henry V" fans

Shelves: drama

Ah! The Bard's History plays. They are often spoke of with fear and trepidation by aspiring Shakespeare buffs, in the same way aspiring Biblical scholars warily approach the cryptic writings of Isaiah.

Well, following my reading of Julius Ceaser in high school, I didn't attempt a Shakespeare history until this one. And I really liked it. Amongst other attributes, this play includes a compelling foe, Hotspur. Rather than a 2-dimensional villain, he has admirable qualities.

...more

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May 23, 2009

R rated it

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Shelves: required-read, read-and-liked, adult

I ended up reading both parts and Henry V, but I'll save time and money (not money, actually) by including my review for all three here. Our professor really loved Hal and his friendship with Falstaff, and I think she must have transferred that love to all of her pupils. When we did the extra credit reading of King Henry IV part II, well, we were all ready to kill Hal for his horrible snuffing of his old pal. And then, when Henry V has practically no Falstaff at all, we just about threw our book...more

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Dec 08, 2010

James Mcgann rated it

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I've been meaning to read Shakespeare's histories for a while, and I started with this one before realizing Richard II comes first chronologically. It's much easier to read Shakespeare than I remember the comedies being in high school, especially when you don't have to analyze anything for a book report - you just notice the clever word play and move on. Plus, the plot is very basic (King fighting rebellion, prince goofing off, battle at the end), so you don't miss much even if you don't under...more

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Jul 29, 2011

Yair Ben-Zvi rated it

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The most integral relationship in this play, and what makes it unique among the works of Shakespeare I've read so far, is the Prince Hal/Falstaff dynamic. One man rising to the top and one already there and rapidly (and at times joyously) descending into hedonistic oblivion. It makes for the play's most entertaining and poignant exchanges (giving Hal's insults and Falstaff's playing-the-foolishness a deeper resonance.

Somewhat akin to Othello and Iago, Hal and Falstaff are ostensibly allied.....more

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Jan 31, 2010

Wendy added it · review of another edition

This is a history book written by Shakespeare which is a first history book I read. When I first got the book I thought it would be really boring since it is overall "history". But when I actually read it, it was not as boring as I thought it would be. I actually enjoyed it.
This book was based upon the real Henry iv. This books is based upon the relationship between a father and a son. King Henry IV feels that his son Hal is very irresponsible and needs to start taking responsib...more

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Mar 22, 2010

Kaitlyn Dennis rated it

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Shelves: shakespeare, favorites

I am in the process of learning the part of Hotspur from this for my Shakespeare through Performance class. I was initially a little skeptical about whether I'd like it, having read some of the more well-known plays by Shakespeare while in high school (and even early in college) and feeling kind of lukewarm about them, but I'm finding I really enjoy reading and performing this. I think that this is partly because I'm rereading a lot and thinking a lot more in depth about the characters. I was re...moreI am in the process of learning the part of Hotspur from this for my Shakespeare through Performance class. I was initially a little skeptical about whether I'd like it, having read some of the more well-known plays by Shakespeare while in high school (and even early in college) and feeling kind of lukewarm about them, but I'm finding I really enjoy reading and performing this. I think that this is partly because I'm rereading a lot and thinking a lot more in depth about the characters. I was really surprised how much humor this play has in it, and was fascinated by the gradual transition to a more serious tone as the play nears its end at the battle of Shrewbury.

The Hal/Falstaff relationship is really interesting, though I'm not sure I've quite figured it out; at first, I assumed that there was real affection between them, with Falstaff as a kind of a fatherish figure (or perhaps more of an avuncular one). But the more I read and think about it, Hal comes across to me as a little too cool towards Falstaff, especially after he has sort-of made amends with his real father. I guess part of that could be that he needs to mentally distance himself from the part of his life that Falstaff is part of, in preparation for a more proper way of living more befitting a future king. But I'm kind of bothered by how dismissively he speaks over Falstaff's (not-really-dead) body, immediately after waxing poetic about how awesome Hotspur was. Anyway. I haven't actually read IV pt. 2 and V, so maybe that will shed some light on the matter when I get around to it.

And Hotspur. Oh my god, Hotspur. How awesome is he? He gets to do so much in this play, and is easily the most entertaining character (though, admittedly, I might be a bit prejudiced, as this is my role). And although he's as funny as hell, he's not a clown; it seems like the characters speak respectfully more about Hotspur than any other person in the play, including Hal or the king himself. When Mortimer says that Glendower would've killed anyone else other Hotspur for being so disrespectful, he's probably not kidding. Interestingly, Hotspur doesn't return this favor to the vast majority of the other characters, openly insulting Henry IV, Hal, and Glendower. The only person he actively praises is Douglas, who seems like Hotspur-Light in his eagerness to follow him in whatever course, no matter how badly thought out. There's a bit of a bromance going on there, methinks.

The Arden version also has amazing footnotes and introductory material that help with understanding the text, the performance history, and the historical context; it cleared up quite a few things for me acting-wise as well. (less)

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Oct 26, 2011

Zarakoda rated it

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Shelves: books-i-own

Perhaps one of my favorite Shakespeares.

After being bogged down with the famous tragedies - Othello, Romeo and Juliet - or famous comedies - The Merchant of Venice, blah, blah, blah - I found it immensely relieving to read this history play by Shakespeare. While the usual Shakespearian perspectives are rampant throughout (duh), I did enjoy the focus on a prince who lives in two worlds, the common and the royal. I could enjoy the best of both worlds, as it were: run around with a kingly...more

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Jul 26, 2011

John Harder added it · review of another edition

Young Hal is up to his shenanigans with his corpulent companion, Falstaff. Are his high jinks a mere canard designed to throw his enemies off the trail or is the young prince a degenerate corruptor of all that is decent? I won’t give it away.

Falstaff is by far the most interesting character and the most original philosopher of the play. His mind is sharp, though his figure is not, and his justification for his lack of moral character is compelling and full of wit.

For the Shakespeare novice, ...more

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Feb 10, 2011

Tom rated it

· review of another edition

Shakespeare's history play here is one of his better ones, though it also probably plays most fast and loose with the actual history by creating his great comedic character Falstaff for this one. Yes, historically, Henry IV and V did not get along, but to portray a future king (and one of England's great military hero kings) as a fellow who hangs out with lowlives and engages in theft with a drunk, well, that's a bit much. Of course, this allows Shakespeare to display the coming-of-age of the ...more

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Jul 28, 2011

Mark Woodland rated it

· review of another edition

The Pelican series make pretty good acting scripts, and this is no excpetion. The intro & commentary is good, the footnotes are on a level with someone with a certain base knowledge, so only the more arcane words & phrases explained (no actor likes a script with a half-page of tiny-print footnotes). They're also inexpensive. On the down side, they're printed on cheap, dull paper and aren't all that easy to read unless you're in bright light. This edition is as accurate a transcription as any...more

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Nov 20, 2011

Trendhater73 rated it

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Not one of my favorites. I'm not entirely sure why so many people are taken with Falstaff. He is an annoying character and though he is funny at times, I do not like him much at all. Shakespeare's histories lack the charm of his other works. The villains are not really villains. We do not have the fun, manipulative characters as we do in other tragedies such as Othello. Granted, it is hard to top Iago. He is by far one of Shakespeare's greatest creations. I am interested to see how things unfold...more

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Oct 12, 2009

Ed rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: shakespeare

Very decent introduction by Maynard Mack (who is listed as the author) which suggests that readers "come to Richard IV Part One from Richard II which I am more or less doing. I have been reading the histories not really in order but one close on the next and digging into the tribulations of Bolingbroke right after his crowning and the death of Richard was a great way to approach it.

The history, at least in my case, is the least of it and even Shakespeare's great themes of orde...more

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Aug 29, 2009

Justin Evans rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: poetry-and-drama

I was a bit worried that I wouldn't get it, since I always have trouble with any books or movies which mix the funny and the serious. But I had no problems with this (unlike, say, The Tempest). Looking forward to part II and Henry V.

"But thoughts, the slaves of life, and life, time's fool
And time, that takes survey of all the world,
Must have a stop." Hotspur, V 4 80-82.

"Why? She's neither fish nor flesh; a man knows not where to have her."...more

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Sep 27, 2010

Caitlin rated it

· review of another edition

This is part one of Shakespeare's Henry V series. Prince Hal, the future Henry V, is a disappointment to his father. He spends all his time with dissolute people, such as his friend Falstaff, and does not take his princely duties seriously. Little does Henry IV know, Hal has a plan. He feels that if he acts like a superflous person, that once he becomes King he will take the responsibility and shock all his rivals by his determination. Maybe Hal pushes it too long? Maye his idea was a good one? ...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. Hi...moreWilliam 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. 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.
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“If all the year were playing holidays; To sport would be as tedious as to work.” — 6 people liked it

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