
Henry IV, Part 2
'Henry IV, Part 2' Summary
The play picks up where Henry IV, Part 1 left off. Its focus is on Prince Hal's journey toward kingship, and his ultimate rejection of Falstaff. However, unlike Part One, Hal's and Falstaff's stories are almost entirely separate, as the two characters meet only twice and very briefly. The tone of much of the play is elegiac, focusing on Falstaff's age and his closeness to death, which parallels that of the increasingly sick king.
Falstaff is still drinking and engaging in petty criminality in the London underworld. He first appears followed by a new character, a young page whom Prince Hal has assigned him as a joke. Falstaff enquires what the doctor has said about the analysis of his urine, and the page cryptically informs him that the urine is healthier than the patient. Falstaff delivers one of his most characteristic lines: "I am not only witty in myself, but the cause that wit is in other men." Falstaff promises to outfit the page in "vile apparel" (ragged clothing). He then complains of his insolvency, blaming it on "consumption of the purse." They go off, Falstaff vowing to find a wife "in the stews" (i.e., the local brothels).
The Lord Chief Justice enters, looking for Falstaff. Falstaff at first feigns deafness in order to avoid conversing with him, and when this tactic fails pretends to mistake him for someone else. As the Chief Justice attempts to question Falstaff about a recent robbery, Falstaff insists on turning the subject of the conversation to the nature of the illness afflicting the King. He then adopts the pretense of being a much younger man than the Chief Justice: "You that are old consider not the capacities of us that are young." Finally, he asks the Chief Justice for one thousand pounds to help outfit a military expedition, but is denied.
He has a relationship with Doll Tearsheet, a prostitute, who gets into a fight with Ancient Pistol, Falstaff's ensign. After Falstaff ejects Pistol, Doll asks him about the Prince. Falstaff is embarrassed when his derogatory remarks are overheard by Hal, who is present disguised as a musician. Falstaff tries to talk his way out of it, but Hal is unconvinced. When news of a second rebellion arrives, Falstaff joins the army again, and goes to the country to raise forces. There he encounters an old school friend, Justice Shallow, and they reminisce about their youthful follies. Shallow brings forward potential recruits for the loyalist army: Mouldy, Bullcalf, Feeble, Shadow and Wart, a motley collection of rustic yokels. Falstaff and his cronies accept bribes from two of them, Mouldy and Bullcalf, not to be conscripted.
In the other storyline, Hal remains an acquaintance of London lowlife and seems unsuited to kingship. His father, King Henry IV is again disappointed in the young prince because of that, despite reassurances from the court. Another rebellion is launched against Henry IV, but this time it is defeated, not by a battle, but by the duplicitous political machinations of Hal's brother, Prince John. King Henry then sickens and appears to die. Hal, seeing this, believes he is King and exits with the crown. King Henry, awakening, is devastated, thinking Hal cares only about becoming King. Hal convinces him otherwise and the old king subsequently dies contentedly.
The two story-lines meet in the final scene, in which Falstaff, having learned from Pistol that Hal is now King, travels to London in expectation of great rewards. But Hal rejects him, saying that he has now changed, and can no longer associate with such people. The London lowlifes, expecting a paradise of thieves under Hal's governance, are instead purged and imprisoned by the authorities.
Book Details
Authors

William Shakespeare
United Kingdom
William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon. The son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, he was probably educated at the King Edward VI Grammar School in Stratford, where he...
Books by William ShakespeareDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Red Wallflower by Susan Warner
In the serene New England countryside, Esther, a young orphan, yearns for companionship and intellectual stimulation. Her life takes a turn when she b...

Ere Sleep Comes Down to Soothe the Weary Eyes by Paul Laurence Dunbar
"Ere Sleep Comes Down to Soothe the Weary Eyes" is a collection of poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar, one of the most important African-American poets of...

Lullaby by Louisa May Alcott
“Lullaby” is a poignant and reflective poem by Louisa May Alcott, exploring themes of love, loss, and the bittersweet memories of childhood. Alcott us...

Faery Tales from Hans Christian Andersen by Hans Christian Andersen
This 1910 edition of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales presents a selection of both well-known and lesser-known stories, adapted for American read...

Everlasting Flowers by D. H. Lawrence
LibriVox volunteers bring you 9 different recordings of Everlasting Flowers by D. H. Lawrence.

Muerta Enamorada by Theophile Gautier
La Muerta Enamorada es un cuento romántico que explora la delgada línea que separa la vida y la muerte, el sueño y la realidad. La obra de Gautier es...

The Valley of the Moon by Jack London
The Valley of the Moon (1913) is a novel by American writer Jack London (as well as the mythic and romantic name for the wine-growing Sonoma Valley of...

Mount Royal Volume II by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
The mystery deepens in the Canadian wilderness, as a young woman races to save her half-sister from a dangerous and powerful enemy. In Mount Royal Vo...

The Wind in the Rose-Bush, and Other Stories of the Supernatural by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
The wind in the rose-bush is not just the sound of the breeze. It is the voice of the past, calling to us from beyond the grave. The Wind in the Rose...

Bambi - Eine Lebensgeschichte aus dem Walde by Felix Salten
Bambi is a classic children's novel that tells the story of a young deer growing up in the forest. The book follows Bambi as he learns about the dange...
Reviews for Henry IV, Part 2
No reviews posted or approved, yet...