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Henry IV, Part Two (Shakespeare Project Lecture) (Patreon)

Published:
2023-08-20 20:01:57
Imported:
2026-06
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  • book club lecture henry iv 2.mp3

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Content

‘Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown…’

Our journey through the works of William Shakespeare continues with the second part of Henry IV.

We’re discussing the rejection of Falstaff, gallows humour, irony, changing vs not changing, anxiety of time, mortality, friendship, growing up, and much more.

Timestamps:

  • 0:00 a melancholy masterpiece
  • 3:00 my personal response to the play
  • 6:00 anxiety of time, ageing, mortality
  • 8:00 Shakespeare’s gallows humour
  • 10:00 Falstaff’s malady of not marking
  • 14:00 the breaking of the friendship
  • 18:00 King Henry IV’s soliloquy
  • 22:00 changing vs not changing
  • 24:00 Prince Hal puts on the crown
  • 27:00 the father-son heart-to-heart
  • 30:00 Hal becomes King Henry V
  • 33:00 the rejection of Falstaff
  • 40:00 'I know thee not, old man'
  • 45:00 personal grading & ranking
  • 51:00 your thoughts on this play?

Recommended Resources:

  • Recommended Adaptation: I highly recommend viewing the Hollow Crown adaptation for this play. We have Tom Hiddleston as Hal, Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff, and Jeremy Irons as Henry IV. They all give incredibly compelling performances. Check out the scene when Hal puts on the crown here.
  • Film Appreciation: Orson Welles' 1967 Chimes at Midnight is a film masterpiece. You can check out how this film presents the rejection of Falstaff here. And you can also see Orson Welles getting into the character of Falstaff here.
  • Recommended Edition: I continue to recommend the Arden editions for their superb introductions and annotations. If you would like a more minimalist option, I highly recommend checking out the beautiful penguin paperback range.
  • The Genius of Shakespeare: If you would like to add to your collection of criticism and biographies of the bard, I recommend Jonathan Bate's The Genius of Shakespeare and also his Soul of the Age.
  • Hollow Crown Discussion: Richard Eyre, the director of this brilliant adaptation, and Simon Russell Beale, who delivered a moving Falstaff, sit down to discuss the Hollow Crown here.

Questions for You:

1) Do you prefer the character of Hal or Falstaff?

2) Do you find Shakespeare's history plays to be rewarding?

3) What line, passage, idea, or character most resonated with you? And what is your personal grading for Henry IV, Part Two?

Happy reading, Bardolators!

Files

Previews only

Comments

Mo Simpson

1) A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2) Romeo and Juliet 3) Henry IV, Pt I 4) Henry IV, Pt II 5) The Merchant of Venice I am sure my personal history with the first 2 play largely in those choices.

mariah schneider

I really enjoyed this play. I have enjoyed all the history plays so far though my British History knowledge isn't good enough to catch many of the references and I have to go find things to put it into context. The Hollow Crown series does help me understand the history plays better. The one for this play was slightly out of order and many of the longer speeches were cut short, but it was still quite enjoyable. It may be a little unfair since the actor who plays Hal is so good in the Hollow Crown, but I prefer Hal over Falstaff. I give this play an A.

Alex

When you said in previous lectures that Falstaff is witty in himself, and the cause of wit in others, I thought you were quoting Harold Bloom. Wasn't expecting it to be Falstaff himself.

Ylva

B. I love how Shakespeare’s historical plays keep growing on me so much that they make me interested in history itself. And yet, naturally, it’s not the history I read these plays for; like I don’t read Dumas to get historical facts. Hal’s development in this series is fascinating to witness, and I catch myself returning to his lines. Still, his breaking from Falstaff was a sad thing to witness, and I’ve been mulling over it for a few weeks now. Painful scene or not, it has my selection passage. “Presume not that I am the thing I was, For God doth know—so shall the world perceive— That I have turned away my former self. So will I those that kept me company.”