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A review by lizziestudieshistory
Henry IV, Part II by Jonathan Bate, Eric Rasmussen
3.0
I'm reviewing both Henry IV plays here because they do need to be seen as a pair or continuation of the same story.
So, on the surface I should really love these plays - Shakespeare's histories are consistently high ranking on my list of favourites, with Richard II being my absolute favourite of his plays (it's just SO GOOD!) Henry IV explores a lot of the same themes as Richard II - power, duty, corruption of the state, etc. - with the addition of the difficult father-son dynamic between Henry IV and Prince Hal. The themes at the core of these plays are ones I usually love to explore, and Shakespeare handles them well (how could he not?!)
However, I just can't bring myself to love these plays and it's down to one character: FALSTAFF. If I could remove one character from English Literature it would be Falstaff. I would press the button to burn him out of the canon with GLEE. I'd even pay for the privilege! I'd be dancing around the pyre if I could burn him out of the book. Seriously, I loathe him that much. WHY would I possibly want to read about a debauched, drunken, old lecher with no redeeming qualities. I have no sympathy for him and find no enjoyment in his antics. I don't find his sections funny, appealing, or entertaining in the slightest. Perhaps I sound like a puritan over it, but I also don't care? He is deeply unpleasant. I know it's partly the point, I know WHY he's there, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy his presence in the story. I wouldn't want to meet Falstaff in real like - so why would I want to read about him in fiction, particularly when he's not even compelling...
In addition to this, Henry IV part II in particular falls victim to Falstaff becoming the main character, he's certainly where Shakespeare wants to point our attention to. Personally, I'd rather read/watch the main drama of the fraught relationship between Henry and Hal and their attempts to consolidate their power/control over England - I really didn't sign up for the antics of a drunken buffoon. When we do get to explore the key drama and themes of the plays then they're wonderful, but the presence of Falstaff and the interminable focus on his "comedic" misadventures killed the interest I had in these plays very quickly.
So, on the surface I should really love these plays - Shakespeare's histories are consistently high ranking on my list of favourites, with Richard II being my absolute favourite of his plays (it's just SO GOOD!) Henry IV explores a lot of the same themes as Richard II - power, duty, corruption of the state, etc. - with the addition of the difficult father-son dynamic between Henry IV and Prince Hal. The themes at the core of these plays are ones I usually love to explore, and Shakespeare handles them well (how could he not?!)
However, I just can't bring myself to love these plays and it's down to one character: FALSTAFF. If I could remove one character from English Literature it would be Falstaff. I would press the button to burn him out of the canon with GLEE. I'd even pay for the privilege! I'd be dancing around the pyre if I could burn him out of the book. Seriously, I loathe him that much. WHY would I possibly want to read about a debauched, drunken, old lecher with no redeeming qualities. I have no sympathy for him and find no enjoyment in his antics. I don't find his sections funny, appealing, or entertaining in the slightest. Perhaps I sound like a puritan over it, but I also don't care? He is deeply unpleasant. I know it's partly the point, I know WHY he's there, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy his presence in the story. I wouldn't want to meet Falstaff in real like - so why would I want to read about him in fiction, particularly when he's not even compelling...
In addition to this, Henry IV part II in particular falls victim to Falstaff becoming the main character, he's certainly where Shakespeare wants to point our attention to. Personally, I'd rather read/watch the main drama of the fraught relationship between Henry and Hal and their attempts to consolidate their power/control over England - I really didn't sign up for the antics of a drunken buffoon. When we do get to explore the key drama and themes of the plays then they're wonderful, but the presence of Falstaff and the interminable focus on his "comedic" misadventures killed the interest I had in these plays very quickly.