Henry IV Part 1 (World Classics Shakespeare Series)

In Henry IV Part 1 the King is in a doubly ironic position. His rebellion against Richard II was successful but now he himself is beset by rebels led by the charismatic Harry Hotspur. The Kings son Prince Hal seems to be more concerned with the pleasures of the tavern world and the company of the fat rogue Falstaff than with concerns of state. Eventually however Hal proves a courageous foe of the rebels. This history play is lively in its interplay of political intrigue and boisterous comedy subtle in the connections between high statecraft and low craftiness exuberant in its range of vivid characters and memorable in its thematic concern with honour loyalty and the quest for power.