#32 Henry IV Part 1

Yet another Shakespeare History Play that follows on the heels of Richard II.  With Richard, the play was all in iambic pentameter and the humor was scarce, that is if you don't find the character of Richard II amusing in his whiney ways.  Henry IV Part 1 was full of humor, in fact the best parts was when John Falstaff was on stage.  Henry IV the king is an imminently forgettable character, especially as this play has given us two amazing charaters, Falstaff and Hotspur.  One is a bumbling rogue and the other is a hot headed rebel.  Both controlled the stage.

I would almost recommend just reading the scenes with Falstaff and leaving the rest of the play unread.  You don't really need context when Falstaff is making fun of Bardolph's pimples.  Or when the future Henry V and Falstaff swap insults.  Or when Falstaff is constantly lying through his teeth in order to excuse his own shortcomings.  The play was memorable for Falstaff, otherwise the royal intrigue and unrest just wasn't gripping enough.  Maybe Shakespeare also saw that his historical material wasn't enough so he created a marvellous character in Falstaff to compensate.