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    Henry Iv, Part I: A History
    Henry Iv, Part I: A History
    Henry Iv, Part I: A History
    Ebook154 pages1 hour

    Henry Iv, Part I: A History

    By William Shakespeare

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    About this ebook

    After overthrowing his predecessor, King Henry IV is acutely aware of the delicate political tensions he must balance to protect his throne. On one hand, he must rein in his son, the mischievous Prince Hal, who has left the court for a life of drinking and pleasure. At the same time, he must put down a rebellion of some of the most powerful families in England. Henry IV, Part I is the second of four connected plays about successive British monarchs, including Richard II, Henry IV, Part II, and Henry V.

    Known as “The Bard of Avon,” William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language writer known. Enormously popular during his life, Shakespeare’s works continue to resonate more than three centuries after his death, as has his influence on theatre and literature. Shakespeare’s innovative use of character, language, and experimentation with romance as tragedy served as a foundation for later playwrights and dramatists, and some of his most famous lines of dialogue have become part of everyday speech.

    HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateDec 16, 2014
    ISBN9781443443302
    Henry Iv, Part I: A History
    Author

    William Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest playwright the world has seen. He produced an astonishing amount of work; 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and 5 poems. He died on 23rd April 1616, aged 52, and was buried in the Holy Trinity Church, Stratford.

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    Reviews for Henry Iv, Part I

    4/5

    649 ratings8 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      I must seek out a performance (either live or video) of this play to judge it better. I have difficulty with Shakespeare's language and ended up resorting to Sparknotes' "No Fear Shakespeare" in order to follow what was happening. Falstaff didn't strike me as humorous at all but Shakespeare's comic relief is another thing I struggle with unless I see it in performance.
    • 5/5
      It doesn't have the famous speeches of Henry V, but it has the action, the humor, Hotspur, and... FALSTAFF. I can only imagine some Elizabethan Chris Farley got rich off this part. It would only make sense.
    • 4/5
      Richard II is dead, and Henry of Bolingbroke is now king Henry IV. He has a wild son, Prince Hal, and his nobles are restive, especially the earl of Worcester, a former ally in the overthrow of Richard II. Hal has low companions, notably John Falstaff, a disorderly knight, but comes to his father's aid in quelling part of the rebellion. There is a lot in this play about conflict between fathers and sons. It reads well.I've recorded it as read 6 times.
    • 5/5
      Folger editions are my fave.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed reading Shakepeare's "King Henry IV, Part One". It was my first time reading one of Shakepeare's historical plays and this one exceeded my expectations.It's got a good story line, Henry IV is fighting rivals for his throne and trying to bring his unruly son under control. Falstaff is a pretty funny character -- I thought he was much more fun here than in "The Merry Wives of Windsor."
    • 3/5
      Much more interesting than Richard II. The love of Henry IV for Hotspur over his own son seems to foreshadow the King Lear tragedy. Shakespeare depicts HIV as a fairly weak king, in my opinion, but I suppose this is meant to boost HV's status.The Hal/Falstaff robbery scene was quite amusing and set up the drama of the Hal/Hotspur confrontation with Falstaff taking credit for Hotspur's death.
    • 3/5
      Don't look for an educated review here, I've barely touched the surface having only read the play one time. I tried to watch two versions of this, but they did not catch my fancy. I enjoyed the reading of it though, and intend to read the second part very soon. Action, intrigue, a bit of comedy/farce. Good stuff.
    • 4/5
      So many insults -- so much confusion -- intertwined scenes primarily of battle sights and brothels -- Falstaff: Zounds, will they not rob us. -- the problems of becoming King by force.

    Book preview

    Henry Iv, Part I - William Shakespeare

    DRAMATIS PERSONAE

    KING HENRY THE FOURTH

    HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES, PRINCE JOHN OF LANCASTER

    sons of Henry IV

    EARL OF WESTMORELAND, SIR WALTER BLUNT

    friends of the King

    THOMAS PERCY, EARL OF WORCESTER

    HENRY PERCY, EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND

    HENRY PERCY, surnamed HOTSPUR

    his son

    EDMUND MORTIMER, EARL OF MARCH

    ARCHIBALD, EARL OF DOUGLAS

    SCROOP, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK

    SIR MICHAEL

    friend of the Archbishop

    OWEN GLENDOWER

    SIR RICHARD VERNON

    SIR JOHN FALSTAFF, POINS, BARDOLPH, PETO, GADSHILL

    irregular humorists

    FRANCIS

    a drawer

    LADY PERCY

    wife of Hotspur and sister of Mortimer

    LADY MORTIMER

    wife of Mortimer and daughter of Glendower

    HOSTESS QUICKLY

    of the Boar’s Head, Eastcheap

    Lords, Officers, Attendants, an Ostler, a Servant, a Messenger, a Sheriff, a Vintner, a Chamberlain, Drawers, Carriers, and Travellers.

    THE SCENE: ENGLAND AND WALES.

    ACT ONE

    SCENE I. London. The palace.

    Enter the KING, LORD JOHN OF LANCASTER, EARL OF WESTMORELAND, SIR WALTER BLUNT, and Others.

    KING So shaken as we are, so wan with care,

    Find we a time for frighted peace to pant

    And breathe short-winded accents of new broils

    To be commenc’d in strands afar remote.

    [5]

    No more the thirsty entrance of this soil

    Shall daub her lips with her own children’s blood;

    No more shall trenching war channel her fields,

    Nor bruise her flow’rets with the armed hoofs

    Of hostile paces. Those opposed eyes

    [10]

    Which, like the meteors of a troubled heaven,

    All of one nature, of one substance bred,

    Did lately meet in the intestine shock

    And furious close of civil butchery,

    Shall now in mutual well-beseeming ranks

    [15]

    March all one way, and be no more oppos’d

    Against acquaintance, kindred, and allies.

    The edge of war, like an ill-sheathed knife,

    No more shall cut his master. Therefore, friends,

    As far as to the sepulchre of Christ –

    [20]

    Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross

    We are impressed and engag’d to fight –

    Forthwith a power of English shall we levy,

    Whose arms were moulded in their mothers’ womb

    To chase these pagans in those holy fields

    [25]

    Over whose acres walk’d those blessed feet

    Which fourteen hundred years ago were nail’d

    For our advantage on the bitter cross.

    But this our purpose now is twelvemonth old,

    And bootless ’tis to tell you we will go;

    [30]

    Therefore we meet not now. Then let me hear

    Of you, my gentle cousin Westmoreland,

    What yesternight our Council did decree

    In forwarding this dear expedience.

    WESTMORELAND My liege, this haste was hot in question

    [35]

    And many limits of the charge set down

    But yesternight, when all athwart there came

    A post from Wales loaden with heavy news;

    Whose worst was that the noble Mortimer,

    Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight

    [40]

    Against the irregular and wild Glendower,

    Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken,

    A thousand of his people butchered;

    Upon whose dead corpse there was such misuse,

    Such beastly shameless transformation,

    [45]

    By those Welshwomen done, as may not be

    Without much shame re-told or spoken of.

    KING It seems then that the tidings of this broil

    Brake off our business for the Holy Land.

    WESTMORELAND This match’d with other did, my gracious Lord;

    [50]

    For more uneven and unwelcome news

    Came horn the north, and thus it did import:

    On Holy-rood day, the gallant Hotspur there,

    Young Harry Percy, and brave Archibald,

    That ever-valiant and approved Scot,

    [55]

    At Holmedon met,

    Where they did spend a sad and bloody hour;

    As by discharge of their artillery

    And shape of likelihood the news was told;

    For he that brought them, in the very heat

    [60]

    And pride of their contention did take horse,

    Uncertain of the issue any way.

    KING Here is a dear, a true industrious friend,

    Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from his horse,

    Stain’d with the variation of each soil

    [65]

    Betwixt that Holmedon and this seat of ours;

    And he hath brought us smooth and welcome news.

    The Earl of Douglas is discomfited:

    Ten thousand bold Scots, two and twenty knights,

    Balk’d in their own blood, did Sir Walter see

    [70]

    On Holmedon’s plains; of prisoners, Hotspur took

    Mordake, Earl of Fife and eldest son

    To beaten Douglas; and the Earl of Athol,

    Of Murray, Angus, and Menteith.

    And is not this an honourable spoil?

    [75]

    A gallant prize? Ha, cousin, is it not?

    WESTMORELAND In faith,

    It is a conquest for a prince to boast of.

    KING Yea, there thou mak’st me sad and mak’st me sin

    In envy that my Lord Northumberland

    [80]

    Should be the father to so blest a son –

    A son who is the theme of honour’s tongue;

    Amongst a grove, the very straightest plant;

    Who is sweet Fortune’s minion arid her pride;

    Whilst I, by looking on the praise of him,

    [85]

    See riot and dishonour stain the brow

    Of my young Harry. O that it could be prov’d

    That some night-tripping fairy had exchang’d

    In cradle-clothes our children where they lay,

    And call’d mine Percy, his Plantagenet!

    [90]

    Then would I have his Harry, and he mine.

    But let him from my thoughts. What think you, coz,

    Of this young Percy’s pride? The prisoners

    Which he in this adventure hath surpris’d

    To his own use he keeps; and sends me word,

    [95]

    I shall have none but Mordake Earl of Fife.

    WESTMORELAND This is his uncle’s teaching, this is Worcester,

    Malevolent to you in all aspects;

    Which makes him prune himself, and bristle up

    The crest of youth against your dignity.

    [100]

    KING But I have sent for him to answer this;

    And for this cause awhile we must neglect

    Our holy purpose to Jerusalem.

    Cousin, on Wednesday next our council we

    Will hold at Windsor – so inform the lords;

    [105]

    But come yourself with speed to us again,

    For more is to be said and to be done

    Than out of anger can be uttered.

    WESTMORELAND I will, my liege.

    [Exeunt.

    SCENE II. London. The Prince’s lodging.

    Enter the PRINCE OF WALES and SIR JOHN FALSTAFF.

    FALSTAFF Now, Hal, what time of day is it, lad?

    [11]

    PRINCE Thou art so fat-witted with drinking of old sack, and unbuttoning thee after supper, and sleeping upon benches after noon, that thou hast forgotten to demand that truly which thou wouldest truly know. What a devil hast thou to do with the time of the day? Unless hours were cups of sack, and minutes capons, and clocks the tongues of bawds, and dials the signs of leaping-houses, and the blessed sun himself a fair hot wench in flame-coloured taffeta, I see no reason why thou shouldst be so superfluous to demand the time of the day.

    [17]

    FALSTAFF Indeed, you come near me now, Hal; for we that take purses go by the moon and the seven stars, and not by Phoebus, he ‘that wand’ring knight so fair’. And, I prithee, sweet wag, when thou art a king, as, God save thy Grace – Majesty, I should say; for grace thou wilt have none –

    PRINCE What, none?

    [20]

    FALSTAFF No, by my troth; not so much as will serve to be prologue to an egg and butter.

    PRINCE Well, how then? Come, roundly, roundly.

    [28]

    FALSTAFF Marry, then, sweet wag, when thou art king, let not us that are squires of the night’s body be called thieves of the day’s beauty; let us be Diana’s foresters, gemlemen of the shade, minions of the moon; and let men say we be men of good government, being governed, as the sea is, by our noble and chaste mistress the moon, under whose Countenance we steal.

    PRINCE Thou sayest well, and it holds well too; for the fortune of us that are the moon’s men doth ebb and flow like the sea, being governed, as the sea is, by the moon. As, for proof, now: a purse of gold most resolutely snatch’d on Monday night, and most dissolutely spent on Tuesday morning; got with swearing ‘Lay by’ and spent

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