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A review by caliesha
Henry IV, Part Two by Peter Hobley Davison, William Shakespeare
3.0
Let this world no longer be a stage
To feed contention in a lingering act;
But let one spirit of the first-born Cain
Reign in all bosoms that, each heart being set
On bloody courses, the rude scene may end,
And darkness be the burier of the dead.
Remember when I thought this was gonna be about Glendower? Man did I get lied to. This play is like the second act of a broadway musical where everything is suddenly dark and everyone dies. It's hard for me to conceptualize this as its own standing play because it just reads like an underwhelming sequel. Everything I liked about part 1: Hal and Falstaff's comedic friendship, battle scenes, Hotspur's antics, etc. ceased to exist in part 2. Instead, this play is more akin to an interlude in which characters quietly deliberate their next moves with icy anticipation. The politics were interesting but overall the play was lacklustre and anti-climatic.
The opening scenes with Rumour were done well. I like seeing everyone react to what happened at Shrewsbury and plot what their next moves are. There is an interesting mix of remorse and calculation as the characters deeply regret their losses while simultaneously making plans that will inevitably result in greater loss. This dynamic shifts in Act II Scene IV when Prince Henry and Falstaff meet at the tavern. Although hinted at previously, this scene makes it clear that Falstaff is no longer in the prince's favour. Over the course of both plays, Prince Henry effectively distances himself from two father figures, Falstaff and King Henry IV, embracing Chief Lord Justice in the end—his moral transformation from rogue to royal is complete. In the background of this transformation were unnecessary scenes in which Falstaff parades around with his croonies. I understand the shift in humour is deliberate, but I found Falstaff to be unbearably awkward in some scenes to the point where it felt like a desperate attempt for cheap laughs, rather than a means to serve the broader plot.
The strongest scene was Act IV Scene V, in which a dying King Henry IV advises his heir, the now reformed Prince Henry, of the dangers of kingship and laments the decisions he has made. "How I came by the crown," King Henry IV cries, "O God forgive!" This heart-to-heart humanizes both men and sets up the tetraology finale Henry V. This scene felt like a natural ending for the play, but of course Shakespeare didn't take my advice and barrels on for another act. I like the final confrontation between Falstaff and newly crowned Henry V in Act V Scene V but wish the fluff had been cut out in between IV.5 and V.5.
3 stars for this anti-climatic play. Interesting characters and a few great scenes, but largely underwhelming, especially in the shadow of Henry IV Part One.
To feed contention in a lingering act;
But let one spirit of the first-born Cain
Reign in all bosoms that, each heart being set
On bloody courses, the rude scene may end,
And darkness be the burier of the dead.
Remember when I thought this was gonna be about Glendower? Man did I get lied to. This play is like the second act of a broadway musical where everything is suddenly dark and everyone dies. It's hard for me to conceptualize this as its own standing play because it just reads like an underwhelming sequel. Everything I liked about part 1: Hal and Falstaff's comedic friendship, battle scenes, Hotspur's antics, etc. ceased to exist in part 2. Instead, this play is more akin to an interlude in which characters quietly deliberate their next moves with icy anticipation. The politics were interesting but overall the play was lacklustre and anti-climatic.
The opening scenes with Rumour were done well. I like seeing everyone react to what happened at Shrewsbury and plot what their next moves are. There is an interesting mix of remorse and calculation as the characters deeply regret their losses while simultaneously making plans that will inevitably result in greater loss. This dynamic shifts in Act II Scene IV when Prince Henry and Falstaff meet at the tavern. Although hinted at previously, this scene makes it clear that Falstaff is no longer in the prince's favour. Over the course of both plays, Prince Henry effectively distances himself from two father figures, Falstaff and King Henry IV, embracing Chief Lord Justice in the end—his moral transformation from rogue to royal is complete. In the background of this transformation were unnecessary scenes in which Falstaff parades around with his croonies. I understand the shift in humour is deliberate, but I found Falstaff to be unbearably awkward in some scenes to the point where it felt like a desperate attempt for cheap laughs, rather than a means to serve the broader plot.
The strongest scene was Act IV Scene V, in which a dying King Henry IV advises his heir, the now reformed Prince Henry, of the dangers of kingship and laments the decisions he has made. "How I came by the crown," King Henry IV cries, "O God forgive!" This heart-to-heart humanizes both men and sets up the tetraology finale Henry V. This scene felt like a natural ending for the play, but of course Shakespeare didn't take my advice and barrels on for another act. I like the final confrontation between Falstaff and newly crowned Henry V in Act V Scene V but wish the fluff had been cut out in between IV.5 and V.5.
3 stars for this anti-climatic play. Interesting characters and a few great scenes, but largely underwhelming, especially in the shadow of Henry IV Part One.