Henry IV Part 1: ‘Nothing Can Seem Foul to Those Who Win’

The History Of European Theatre

Episode 166:

As with 'Richard II' 'Henry IV part 1' handles some complex English history as it examines the relationships between the King, his son and the powerful Percy family. After the deposition of Richard II Henry ruled for fourteen years until his death. Having ended 'Richard II' with Henry’s accession to the throne and Richard’s death in prison Shakespeare opens this play just a few years later, but with a vision of a tired king and a country dissatisfied with his rule.

The setting for the play

A brief synopsis of the play

The dating of the play

The early performance history of the play

The publication history of the play

The sources for the play

The balance of history and comedy

The historical accuracy of the play

The play as an examination of the father/son relationship

The character of Hotspur as a medieval knight

The portrayal of Glendower as a mystic leader

The role of the aristocratic ladies

Prince Hal as a new sort of leader

Falstaff, ruler of his own sort of court and a king of everyman

The historical figure of Sir John Oldcastle

The later performance history of the play

Support the podcast at:

www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com

www.patreon.com/thoetp

www.ko-fi.com/thoetp

---

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.