... to justify his actions. The play is full of noble speeches, heroic battles, and valiant English underdogs fighting their way to victory against all odds. King Henry seems to be a perfect leader - brave, modest, and fiercely determined, but with a sense of humour. Although his intentions may be honourable, the ... the impression that he will show mercy; he never acknowledges that he holds any responsibility for the bloodshed he has initiated. The brilliance of Henry's speeches, his oratory and his careful development of his image make him an effective and inspiring leader. But his moralit...

• Word Count: 3298
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... as Hazlitt said, presumably aware of the joke) dominated the criticism of the play. On stage, throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, 1 Henry IV was inevitably Falstaff's play, and virtually every great actor of those times took on the role, from Thomas Betterton to James Hackett, ... historical world as is the overtly political action. Unlike Richard II and King John, its immediate predecessors among Shakespeare's historical plays, Henry IV insists that history must be recognized as something more capacious than merely the record of aristocratic motives and actions. The com...

• Word Count: 1901
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate