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thaurisil's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second history play of Shakespeare's that I'm reading. It is the second of a metrology that also includes Richard II, Henry IV Part 2 and Henry V. It follows after Richard II, in which Henry Bolingbroke, with the support of the disgruntled populace, deposes Richard without much resistance and becomes King Henry IV. In this play, Henry IV now faces rebellion from a group led by Harry Percy and his father and uncle, who supported Henry in his journey to the crown but now feel that they have fallen out of favour with Henry. They are joined by the English nobleman Edmund Mortimer, his Welsh father-in-law Owen Glendower, and the Scottish Douglas. Henry's son, known here as Prince Hal, is Henry's shame, as he fraternises with friends in taverns, joins them in robberies and plays pranks on them. Ultimately, Hal makes it up to Henry, joins him in battle, and kills Harry Percy.
Henry is a different king from the ones who came before him. To be a king used to be thought of as a divine appointment, but when Henry deposed Richard, he opened a can of worms. Kingship is no longer a divine right, and kings are no longer safely enthroned. This was already hinted at in Richard II, and now Henry IV is insecure. His supporters feel it, and even when he does not openly antagonise them, they feel his eye of suspicion on them.
Prince Hal too is a different prince. He was not raised from young to expect royalty, and even now that he is royalty, he does not act like a prince or seem to respect his position. His antics with his friends, in particularly his banter with Falstaff about Falstaff’s fatness, create comedy that is unexpected in a play about kings and rebellions. Shakespeare bends history a little, creating Falstaff out of a real person named Oldcastle, and comparing Hal with Harry Percy when Percy was actually more similar to Henry IV’s age. But Hal, who eventually became the successful King Henry V, shows himself worthy of his title in his humility, devotion to his father, generous praise of Percy, and courage during the actual battle. And in fact, from the start, Hal is depicted as someone biding his time, joking with his friends while waiting for the time to prove himself. In a way, he shows himself a better politician than his father, being able to change his behaviour according to the situations he finds himself in.
Nobody is unambiguously good or bad in this play. The battle is not between good and evil, but between two political factions. Each side recognises the other’s virtues, and the real losers are not Percy and his team, but the civilians who are called unwillingly to battle and die undeservedly.
Henry is a different king from the ones who came before him. To be a king used to be thought of as a divine appointment, but when Henry deposed Richard, he opened a can of worms. Kingship is no longer a divine right, and kings are no longer safely enthroned. This was already hinted at in Richard II, and now Henry IV is insecure. His supporters feel it, and even when he does not openly antagonise them, they feel his eye of suspicion on them.
Prince Hal too is a different prince. He was not raised from young to expect royalty, and even now that he is royalty, he does not act like a prince or seem to respect his position. His antics with his friends, in particularly his banter with Falstaff about Falstaff’s fatness, create comedy that is unexpected in a play about kings and rebellions. Shakespeare bends history a little, creating Falstaff out of a real person named Oldcastle, and comparing Hal with Harry Percy when Percy was actually more similar to Henry IV’s age. But Hal, who eventually became the successful King Henry V, shows himself worthy of his title in his humility, devotion to his father, generous praise of Percy, and courage during the actual battle. And in fact, from the start, Hal is depicted as someone biding his time, joking with his friends while waiting for the time to prove himself. In a way, he shows himself a better politician than his father, being able to change his behaviour according to the situations he finds himself in.
Nobody is unambiguously good or bad in this play. The battle is not between good and evil, but between two political factions. Each side recognises the other’s virtues, and the real losers are not Percy and his team, but the civilians who are called unwillingly to battle and die undeservedly.
deirdrecollins's review against another edition
5.0
will be rereading!! so amazing i love hal. I will be rereading along side the globes production of it. normally i won’t log that but this play was so good that i am going to count it. will be writing a full review after that because i think it’s important to also see how it is performed
giocdavis's review against another edition
2.0
i read this for my british cultures seminar. i probably should have done some research BEFORE reading this because i didn’t know anything that was going on or who anyone was supposed to be. it was fine, but i would not have read it if not for an assignment.
jakepauler69's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
perleerose's review against another edition
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would, I really enjoyed the banter between the Prince and Falstaff. Had to read it for a Shakespeare class I'm taking
'But a braver place/In my heart's love hath no man than yourself'
'But a braver place/In my heart's love hath no man than yourself'
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Fatphobia
Minor: Violence and Alcohol
emilyroseh's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
cs4_0reads's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75