Category: Henry IV

Power can affect individuals very differently. This includes those who are in power, and those who are being led. Several of Shakespeares plays tell the story of various kings and how they have ruled England. Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV, and Henry V have all had different experiences when it came to ruling. Even…

Hal is dynamic. We see definite changes in his character from our first encounter with him (in Henry IV part I) to when he is king (in Henry V). He starts out as a rebellious and seemingly care-free youth. He chooses to spend most of his time with his lower class friends at the tavern…

When reading Shakespeare, it is clear that certain character types can be found throughout his plays. Two such plays that share the same character type are King Henry IV: Part I and Hamlet. Throughout these plays, the character type of a deceptive ruler is seen through King Henry in King Henry IV: Part I and…

In the last decade of their reigns, a series of legal disputes arose between Francis and Henry which seem oddly trivial and unnecessarily prolonged to the modern observer. Yet, there was an earnest tenacity about them. The apparent issue in each was the respect for the legalities of treaties between them, and particularly honouring the…

In the 16th century, Niccolo Machiavelli stated on The Prince that leadership came mostly from theatrics. That is to say, to be a good leader one must first be a good actor, or at the very least be convincing enough to get the loyalty of the people. In a time where the political situation of…

In Part 1 of Henry IV, blood is the defining characteristic, separating the players into two distinct groups easily designated by their relationship to blood and providing the basis for the two lifestyles that Hal leads. The nobilitys obsession with blood in all of its meanings coagulates them into the first of the two groups.…