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Spark Notes Henry IV, Part 1
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April 7, 2022
The play opens after the battle of Homildon (September 1402). King Henry IV (1367-1413) is telling Westmoreland and Sir Walter Blout that he is unable to go and fight in the Middle East because of internal opposition.
There was the Battle of Bryn Glas (June 1402) where Edmund Mortimer IV (1376-1409) taken prisoner by Owain Glyndwr (1359-1415), changed sides (the ransom wasn’t paid) and married Catrin (Glyndwr’s daughter).
In addition, (Henry Percy) Hotspur (1364-1403) and his uncle Thomas Percy, 1st Earl of Worcester (1343-1403) are in opposition to the king; Hotspur refuses to hand over Scottish prisoners from the battle of Homildon.
Meanwhile, Falstaff and his friends are congregating at the Boar’s Head Tavern, Eastcheap, London (a bartender, Poins, Francis, Mistress Quickly). Eventually, the locals are recruited for the Battle of Shrewsbury; during the war Falstaff muses on the worthlessness of honor:
[H]onour pricks me on . . . Therefore I’ll none of it.
Honour is a mere scutcheon.
Hotspur's receipt of a letter from an unnamed nobleman declining to join in a rebellion against the king prompts him to move quickly. Lady Kate (Elizabeth Percy (Mortimer) (1371-1417) isn’t given much information but she suspects that his urgency has something to do with an alliance with her brother, Edmund Mortimer IV.
Hotspur sets forth quickly, from home (Warkworth castle), for Wales ( Sycharth) to meet up with other rebels, his uncle, the Earl of Worcester, Glyndwr and Edmund Mortimer IV.
Some other nobles have declined to join the rebellion and Hotspur is worried about the plot being revealed.
Hotspur and the others then set out for Shrewsbury where they are to meet up with Hotspur’s father, Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland (1341—1408) and Archibald Douglas. Glyndwr will gather a Welsh army and head out soon.
Sir Walter Blunt informs the king (and Harry of Monmouth) about the rebels’ movements.
Prince John (3rd son), Lord of Lancaster and the Earl of Westmoreland have already gone to meet them. The king will be setting out with his troops soon; and so will his son, Harry of Monmouth with his own troops too. The royalists will all meet at Bridgnorth.
In the rebels’ Shrewsbury camp, Hotspur, Worcester and Douglas, while discussing strategy, learn that Hotspur’s father, Northumberland, will not be coming with his troops after all; this adds to issues of uncertainty and dissension among the rebels.
Sir Richard Vernon (a Percy relative) informs the assembled rebels that the John of Lancaster and Westmoreland are marching towards Shrewsbury, closely followed by the king, and after him, his other son, Henry of Monmouth.
The rebels then learn that their fellow rebels, Glyndwr and Mortimer can’t make it either; the fortunes of war are turning against the Percys.
Nevertheless, despite these setbacks, Hotspur and Archibald Douglas want to fight straightaway; Vernon and Worcester want to delay; Vernon for the arrival of more troops; Worcester so as to allow for some rest time
Sir Walter Blunt arrives in the rebels camp to inform them of the king’s offer of peace (desires/amnesty). Hotspur explains that he has grievances against the king (whom he helped in overthrowing Richard II) and, most recently, because of the king's lack of response to the Welsh ransom request for Lord Mortimer.
Hotspur tells Sir Walter Blunt that Worcester will let the king know his response the next day.
King and his son, Harry of Monmouth, now in their Shrewbury camp, receive Worcester and Vernon as messengers; Worcester says that the Percy family’s grievances have left them no choice but to flee the court and raise an army to bring about justice.
Harry offers to engage in a single combat event with Hotspur but Worcester does not convey this offer back to the rebels (Hotspur); instead he conveys fictitious insults.
Hotspur goes on to demand that Henry meet the Percy’s on the battlefield; Worcester then tells Hotspur about the offer of one-on-one combat; but Hotspur says he will seek out Henry of Monmouth out on the battlefield. Hotspur doesn’t have time to read any of his urgent letters.
There are battlefield scenes; Douglas against Blunt, who is killed. Douglas and Hotspur, who are looking for the king. Falstaff refuses to give his sword to Harry of Monmouth; he doesn’t want to be unarmed if he meets Hotspur.
King Henry of Monmouth, John of Lancaster and Westmoreland are seen together; Henry of Monmouth has been wounded. Nevertheless Henry of Monmouth, John of Lancaster and Westmoreland leave to fight.
The king is thus left alone when he encounters Archibald Douglas. The king is subsequently saved by his son, Henry of Monmouth.
Henry of Monmouth goes on to critically wound Hotspur. Archibald Douglas encounters Falstaff, who pretends to be dead.
The king, having won the battle, subsequently discovers that the battle was triggered by Worcester’s misinformation (he did not convey the king’s peace offerings properly to the rebels (Hotspur). Vernon and Worcester are subsequently executed.
Douglas, who has been taken prisoner, is released (by Harry of Monmouth). John of Lancaster and Westmoreland set out for York to deal with Northumberland and Archbishop of York.
King and Henry of Monmouth set out for Wales to deal with Glyndwr and Mortimer.
There was the Battle of Bryn Glas (June 1402) where Edmund Mortimer IV (1376-1409) taken prisoner by Owain Glyndwr (1359-1415), changed sides (the ransom wasn’t paid) and married Catrin (Glyndwr’s daughter).
In addition, (Henry Percy) Hotspur (1364-1403) and his uncle Thomas Percy, 1st Earl of Worcester (1343-1403) are in opposition to the king; Hotspur refuses to hand over Scottish prisoners from the battle of Homildon.
Meanwhile, Falstaff and his friends are congregating at the Boar’s Head Tavern, Eastcheap, London (a bartender, Poins, Francis, Mistress Quickly). Eventually, the locals are recruited for the Battle of Shrewsbury; during the war Falstaff muses on the worthlessness of honor:
[H]onour pricks me on . . . Therefore I’ll none of it.
Honour is a mere scutcheon.
Hotspur's receipt of a letter from an unnamed nobleman declining to join in a rebellion against the king prompts him to move quickly. Lady Kate (Elizabeth Percy (Mortimer) (1371-1417) isn’t given much information but she suspects that his urgency has something to do with an alliance with her brother, Edmund Mortimer IV.
Hotspur sets forth quickly, from home (Warkworth castle), for Wales ( Sycharth) to meet up with other rebels, his uncle, the Earl of Worcester, Glyndwr and Edmund Mortimer IV.
Some other nobles have declined to join the rebellion and Hotspur is worried about the plot being revealed.
Hotspur and the others then set out for Shrewsbury where they are to meet up with Hotspur’s father, Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland (1341—1408) and Archibald Douglas. Glyndwr will gather a Welsh army and head out soon.
Sir Walter Blunt informs the king (and Harry of Monmouth) about the rebels’ movements.
Prince John (3rd son), Lord of Lancaster and the Earl of Westmoreland have already gone to meet them. The king will be setting out with his troops soon; and so will his son, Harry of Monmouth with his own troops too. The royalists will all meet at Bridgnorth.
In the rebels’ Shrewsbury camp, Hotspur, Worcester and Douglas, while discussing strategy, learn that Hotspur’s father, Northumberland, will not be coming with his troops after all; this adds to issues of uncertainty and dissension among the rebels.
Sir Richard Vernon (a Percy relative) informs the assembled rebels that the John of Lancaster and Westmoreland are marching towards Shrewsbury, closely followed by the king, and after him, his other son, Henry of Monmouth.
The rebels then learn that their fellow rebels, Glyndwr and Mortimer can’t make it either; the fortunes of war are turning against the Percys.
Nevertheless, despite these setbacks, Hotspur and Archibald Douglas want to fight straightaway; Vernon and Worcester want to delay; Vernon for the arrival of more troops; Worcester so as to allow for some rest time
Sir Walter Blunt arrives in the rebels camp to inform them of the king’s offer of peace (desires/amnesty). Hotspur explains that he has grievances against the king (whom he helped in overthrowing Richard II) and, most recently, because of the king's lack of response to the Welsh ransom request for Lord Mortimer.
Hotspur tells Sir Walter Blunt that Worcester will let the king know his response the next day.
King and his son, Harry of Monmouth, now in their Shrewbury camp, receive Worcester and Vernon as messengers; Worcester says that the Percy family’s grievances have left them no choice but to flee the court and raise an army to bring about justice.
Harry offers to engage in a single combat event with Hotspur but Worcester does not convey this offer back to the rebels (Hotspur); instead he conveys fictitious insults.
Hotspur goes on to demand that Henry meet the Percy’s on the battlefield; Worcester then tells Hotspur about the offer of one-on-one combat; but Hotspur says he will seek out Henry of Monmouth out on the battlefield. Hotspur doesn’t have time to read any of his urgent letters.
There are battlefield scenes; Douglas against Blunt, who is killed. Douglas and Hotspur, who are looking for the king. Falstaff refuses to give his sword to Harry of Monmouth; he doesn’t want to be unarmed if he meets Hotspur.
King Henry of Monmouth, John of Lancaster and Westmoreland are seen together; Henry of Monmouth has been wounded. Nevertheless Henry of Monmouth, John of Lancaster and Westmoreland leave to fight.
The king is thus left alone when he encounters Archibald Douglas. The king is subsequently saved by his son, Henry of Monmouth.
Henry of Monmouth goes on to critically wound Hotspur. Archibald Douglas encounters Falstaff, who pretends to be dead.
The king, having won the battle, subsequently discovers that the battle was triggered by Worcester’s misinformation (he did not convey the king’s peace offerings properly to the rebels (Hotspur). Vernon and Worcester are subsequently executed.
Douglas, who has been taken prisoner, is released (by Harry of Monmouth). John of Lancaster and Westmoreland set out for York to deal with Northumberland and Archbishop of York.
King and Henry of Monmouth set out for Wales to deal with Glyndwr and Mortimer.
Displaying 1 of 1 review