King Henry IV, Part I Play
King Henry IV, Part I, picks up where Richard
II left off; Henry IV is now King of England but all
is not well in his kingdom, Welsh leader Owen Glendower
has defeated one of King Henry IV's armies, capturing
Edmund Mortimer, its leader. Unfortunately our King
does not have a son to take over the reins, his only
son Henry V, known as Hal shirks responsibility, preferring
to waste away his youth drinking, partying and getting
up to trouble with his rogue friends, in particular
a certain John Falstaff and his friend Poins.. . He
even takes part in the robbery of travellers! If only
the King could swap sons with the Percies, he's fighting;
Hotspur, the son of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
is by all accounts a brave, couageous soldier. In an
important soliloquy, Hal reveals that though he has
been keeping bad company, he will soon show his true
colors at the right time...
Meanwhile the King punishes the Earl of Worcester,
the Earl of Northumberland and Hotspur (Northumberland's
son) for forgetting their obligations to their King.
Hotspur and his father offer the prisoners from a Scottish
campaign gladly, arguing their refusal to do so was
all a misunderstanding. The King disagrees, believing
Hotspur wanted to use the prisoners to force the King
to pay the ransom of Lord Mortimer, his brother-in-law.
The King will not do this because Lord Mortimer betrayed
his forces by marrying the daughter of Glendower, his
enemy on the battlefield! Hotspur is ordered to hand
over the prisoners but refuses.
Worcester suggests a plan to deal with the King (the
Percy Rebellion), which involves the Percies, Douglas,
Glendower and the Archbishop of York siding against
the King. Hotspur hands over the prisoners to buy time...
The rebels, however quickly begin to argue over how
the will divide the spoils of England. Hotspurs' father
the Earl of Northumberlaqnd (Henry Percy) falls ill,
hurting the rebellion before it even begins since his
forces will not be available, whilst Glendower is late
gathering his forces. Meanwhile the King has words with
his wayward son Hal, Hal becoming determined to earn
his father's respect in the forthcoming battle.
The King has also been busy raising a large army...
Hotspur, learning this and the fact that Hal will fight
beside the King ever courageously tries to find silver
linings in an ever darkening cloud... Like Julius Caesar,
the two sides exchange words before battle, the King
hoping to avoid a bloody fight, offers a pardon to the
rebels. Worcester, representing an absent Hotspur, however
does not believe this grand offer, choosing to lie to
Hotspur that the King is resolute in wanting war. The
rebels are completely beaten in the battle that follows,
Hal even gaining honor on the battlefield by killing
Hotspur, a man many thought would be the stronger of
the two in battle. This action saves his father, The
King, earning Hal the respect he so desperately wanted.
Falstaff, recruited into a battle he wanted no part
in, somehow manages to survive the massacre on the battlefield
by pretending to be dead, later trying to claim his
own glory by claiming Hotspurs' death for himself! Hal
graciously lets Falstaff keep this unearned glory. The
rebels, Worcester and Sir Richarsd Vernon are executed;
Douglas is set free. However not all the rebels have
been defeated....
Contents
Dramatis
Personæ
Act I
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III
Act II
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV
Act III
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III
Act IV
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV
Act V
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V
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