A review by caliesha
Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare
4.0
Rebellion in this land shall lose his sway, meeting the check of such another day; And since this business so fair is done, let us not leave till all our own be won.
I am pleasantly surprised at how well these characters embodied the spirit of the historical figures. My favourite character was, of course, the rogueish and witty Hal. His one comparison to Mercury made me almost forgive every stupid thing King Henry said. I also really appreciated Falstaff. In addition to his comedic remarks, he served as a sort of ethical meter for Hal's character to measure up against; it is in the scenes where the two men begin to seem at odds that the reader gains a sense of just how much Hal has grown. Also, Falstaffs' "counterfeited" gag at the end with Hotspur made me grin. We only got a bit of Glendower in this but it was excellent. I appreciate his vain, mythic, Pyrgopolynices-esque (Classics flex) demeanor and look forward to seeing what happens to him in part 2.
I am pleasantly surprised at how well these characters embodied the spirit of the historical figures. My favourite character was, of course, the rogueish and witty Hal. His one comparison to Mercury made me almost forgive every stupid thing King Henry said. I also really appreciated Falstaff. In addition to his comedic remarks, he served as a sort of ethical meter for Hal's character to measure up against; it is in the scenes where the two men begin to seem at odds that the reader gains a sense of just how much Hal has grown. Also, Falstaffs' "counterfeited" gag at the end with Hotspur made me grin. We only got a bit of Glendower in this but it was excellent. I appreciate his vain, mythic, Pyrgopolynices-esque (Classics flex) demeanor and look forward to seeing what happens to him in part 2.