Henry IV, Part 1

Name: Henry IV, Part 1
Rating: 3.8 (34282 reviews)

by Shakespeare

First published 1598

Amazon

3.8(34,282)

Henry IV’s insecure rule is challenged by the Percy family, whose grievances unite them with the Welsh leader Owain Glyndŵr and other opponents of the crown. At the same time, Prince Hal appears to neglect royal duty in the company of Falstaff and the tavern world of Eastcheap, leaving doubts about the future of the Lancastrian dynasty.

The two strands meet in the rebellion that culminates at Shrewsbury, where Hal must prove himself in battle against the celebrated Hotspur. Shakespeare contrasts competing forms of honour, authority and masculinity while showing how civil conflict forces the prince to move from private freedom toward the public role expected of a future king.