Henry IV, Part 1
Assigned by 3 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 1596-1597
- Era
- Renaissance
- Form
- Drama
- Language
- English
- Length
- Medium · 290 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendHenry IV, Part 1Folger Shakespeare Library (Simon and Schuster), 2004Good glosses for the political background and the tavern slang alike.
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King Henry, who took the crown from Richard II, faces a rebellion led by the Percy family and their fiery son Hotspur. Meanwhile his own heir, Prince Hal, wastes his days in Eastcheap taverns with the fat knight Falstaff, though he privately plans to reform at the moment of greatest effect. The two plots meet at the battle of Shrewsbury, where Hal saves his father's life and kills Hotspur, and Falstaff plays dead and then claims the credit.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Henry IV, Part 1 are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
