1 Henry IV – A. J. Drake's Shakespeare Site

Questions on
Shakespeare’s History Plays

Shakespeare, William. The History of Henry the Fourth, aka The First Part of Henry the Fourth. (The Norton Shakespeare: Histories, 3rd ed. 629-95.)

ACT 1

1. In Act 1, Scene 1, what state of mind does King Henry IV (Bolingbroke) appear to be in? What problems is he facing, and what immediate burdens does he acknowledge are weighing him down? In particular, what comparison does he make between “Young Harry Percy” (Hotspur) and his own heir, Prince Hal? Henry usurped the crown from Richard III in 1399—based on this opening scene, does it seem as if his treasonous deed was worth the trouble? Why or why not?

2. In Act 1, Scene 2, we are introduced to Sir John Falstaff, the play’s resident Lord of Misrule. What kind of relationship does he seem to have with Prince Hal? What is Falstaff’s attitude towards Hal, and what is Hal’s attitude towards Falstaff? In what sense does the Prince’s sense of humor become somewhat “edgy” when it focuses on Sir John?

3. In Act 1, Scene 2, what opportunity does Poins pitch to Falstaff? Then, when he is alone with Prince Hal, what modification of the “opportunity” does Poins reveal to Hal? What is the point of playing a trick like this on Falstaff, and how, according to Poins, will the comic conspirators pull it off?

4. At the end of Act 1, Scene 2, when he is alone, how does Prince Harry tell us he regards Falstaff and his other low-ranking friends at the Boar’s Head Tavern? Why is he hanging around with such base-born characters in the first place, and what plan does he apparently have in mind for the future, now that his father is king and great events are imminent?

5. In Act 1, Scene 3, what quarrel between himself and the powerful Percy clan is Henry IV trying to settle? What two things has “Hotspur,” Northumberland’s fiery-tempered son, done that so enrage the King, and why is Hotspur, for his own part, upset with the King’s treatment of him? Why do the Percys treat Henry IV as if he owes them something—what have they done for him in the past?

6. In Act 1, Scene 3, we know that Henry IV is incensed at Northumberland’s son Hotspur, but a few scenes ago, we should recall, he showed us (in the course of complaining about his own eldest son Prince Hal) how impressed he actually is with this young man. Based on Scene 3, what are Hotspur’s qualities, in terms of strengths and weaknesses? Would he make a good ruler, or even a good leader of the Percy family? Why or why not?

7. In Act 1, Scene 3, the Percys appear to have worked themselves up into starting a rebellion against King Henry IV. What are they proposing to do to advance this rebellion—what specific steps will they take? Why do they despair of bringing the King around to seeing things their way? Towards, the scene’s end, what key psychological insight does Worcester (Thomas Percy) provide that helps us answer this question?

ACT 2

8. In Act 2, Scene 1, what is the subject of the conversation first between the two carriers and Gadshill and then, more importantly, between Gadshill and the Chamberlain? Why is “Gadshill’s” name the same as the place where a robbery will take place? What relationship seems to exist between Gadshill and the Chamberlain? Why does Gadshill apparently believe he’s safe from the law in spite of his criminal activities?

9. In Act 2, Scene 2, in which Falstaff commits a highway robbery only to be robbed himself, what is his complaint at the beginning of the scene—why is he upset with some of his fellow highwaymen? Then, how does the first robbery proceed? What’s the significance of the terms of abuse that Falstaff hurls at the men he and his companions are robbing? How does the second or “mock” robbery go down, and what does Hal think of his accomplishment in this regard so far?

10. In Act 2, Scene 3, we hear a conversation between Hotspur and his wife Kate, aka Lady Percy. What kind of marriage do they seem to have, based on their conversation style in this scene? What does Lady Percy want her husband to reveal, and why won’t he tell her his secrets? (Optional: if you have read or seen a number of Shakespeare’s history plays, which female characters among those you’re familiar with are accorded the most significant or otherwise noteworthy roles?)

11. At the beginning of Act 2, Scene 4, what reason does Prince Hal give for associating with his favorite tavern’s “drawers” (waiters or bartenders). What does he say he learns from them, and why does such knowledge matter? Why, too, does he subject Francis the drawer, a simple, common laborer, into a silly experiment that drives the poor fellow to exasperation? How does Hal benefit from this experiment?

12. In Act 2, Scene 4, what accusations does Falstaff level at Prince Harry and others upon re-entering the Boar’s Head Tavern after the robbery? What dubious version of the robbery and mock-robbery at Gadshill does Falstaff offer Hal and the other tavern-goers? How does Prince Harry undercut Falstaff’s lies, and what do Falstaff’s speedy attempts to vindicate himself reveal about his real outlook on life?

13. In Act 2, Scene 4, what is the serious point underlying Prince Harry’s comic play-acting the roles of King and Crown Prince with Falstaff? Moreover, what darker undertones does all this play-acting lend to Falstaff’s tenure as “Lord of Misrule” in Prince Harry’s life? Consider, for example, Hal’s chilling rejoinder at 2.4.438 to Falstaff’s plea not to banish him,” “I do; I will.” What does such an exchange tell us about these two characters’ actual relationship?

14. Towards the end of Act 2, Scene 4, how does Prince Harry deal with the lawmen who come looking for Falstaff because of his thievery at Gadshill? What promise does he subsequently make to Falstaff about his place in the war against the rebels besetting Henry IV, and how does Falstaff react to that promise?

ACT 3

15. In Act 3, Scene 1, what plans and concerns do the rebels discuss? What almost causes Hotspur and Owen Glyndwr to quarrel? What differences in attitude and personal expression keep them apart? What attributes does Glyndwr possess that differ markedly from Hotspur’s, and vice versa? How does Worcester sum up the advantages and disadvantages of Hotspur’s temperament?

16. In Act 3, Scene 1, we hear (though in Welsh, not English), from the second of the play’s aristocratic women, Lady Mortimer, who is also Owen Glyndwr’s daughter. What effect does her viewpoint on the current proceedings have on her husband, Lord Edward Mortimer, brother of Hotspur’s wife Kate? How much influence does either Lady Mortimer or Kate (Lady Percy) have on her husband’s military and political determinations? How much room is there for women’s perspectives, or for the domestic sphere more broadly, in this play?

17. In Act 3, Scene 2, what reproaches does Henry IV make against his son Prince Harry, heir to the throne? What wisdom grounded in his own career does he try to impart to the young man, and what unsavory comparison does he make between Prince Harry and King Richard II, whom Henry deposed in 1399? How does Harry console and re-inspirit his father? With what key task does Henry IV entrust Prince Hal, now that he has promised to change his ways?

18. In Act 3, Scene 3, what is the nature of Falstaff’s quarrel with the Hostess and with Prince Harry at the Boar’s Head Tavern? How is the dispute between resolved? What war-related surprise does Hal spring on Falstaff? What is Sir John’s mood on receiving this news on the eve of the perilous fight against the rebels Glyndwr, Hotspur, and their supporters?

ACT 4

19. In Act 4, Scene 1, what is happening on the rebel side? What bad news does Hotspur receive, and how does he take this news? How, too, does he deal with the praise that Richard Vernon heaps upon Prince Hal? What does Hotspur apparently think of his upcoming matchup with the recently wayward Prince? On the whole, what is Hotspur’s state of mind as the hour of battle draws near?

20. In Act 4, Scene 2, what has Falstaff done in the wake of the Prince’s procuring for him “a charge of foot” back at 675, 3.3.170? How does he apparently construe the significance of war? What is his attitude towards the men he has chosen to take into battle? What can we learn about military recruitment practices in medieval England from Falstaff’s misbehavior in this scene?

21. In Act 4, Scene 3, how does Hotspur describe his kinsmen’s role in helping Henry Bullingbrook depose Richard II and become King Henry IV? How does Hotspur characterize King Henry’s reign up to the present time? What are the rebels’ prospects for victory at this point, just before their direct meeting with King Henry in the next Act? In the very brief Scene 4, what does the Archbishop plan to do based on what he knows about his fellow rebels’ current difficulties?

ACT 5

22. In Act 5, Scene 1, how does King Henry IV counter the rebels’ interpretation of the events leading up to the imminent hostilities between them? What offer does the King extend to those massed to fight against him? Does it seem plausible or practicable? Why or why not? How does Prince Hal try to turn to his advantage the obvious disparity between his reputation and the superior fame of Hotspur (here called Henry Percy)?

23. In Act 5, Scene 1, what “catechism” (see 687, 5.1.127-39, “’Tis not due yet …”) does Falstaff set forth regarding the concept of chivalric honor? Why does he call it a catechism? How does Sir John’s speech reflect on, or connect to, the chivalric meeting we have just seen between the King, Prince Hal, and the noble enemies against whom they are about to do battle? Ultimately, what is the problem with overvaluing honor, as Falstaff understands that concept?

24. In Act 5, Scene 2, why does Worcester keep the knowledge of the King’s generous offer from Hotspur? What is Hotspur’s present attitude towards his rival, Prince Hal? How good a rhetorician or public speaker is Hotspur on the eve of battle? How do his skills compare with those of others in this play?

25. In Act 5, Scene 3, what admission does Falstaff make in soliloquy regarding what he has allowed to happen to the soldiers he drafted and took into battle? What is his reaction to this terrible outcome, bred of his own irresponsibility? Consider also Prince Hal’s reaction to his old friend and mentor Falstaff’s conduct in battle. What does Sir John do in his presence, and how does the Prince respond? What offends Hal most about his old mentor’s conduct, and why?

26. At the end of Scene 3, in meditating on the “grinning honor” of the slain patriot Sir Walter Blount, what broad principle does Falstaff set up against such honor? Does the assertion of this principle mitigate what Sir John has said and done while the war rages all around him, or does it only make things worse? Explain your view.

27. In Act 5, Scene 4, what two redemptive military acts does Prince Hal perform, in light of his previous promises to himself and his father? Describe the Prince’s actions in these scenes and what he says about them to others. How far has he come by now in comparison to his earlier self, his earlier level of maturity?

28. In Act 5, Scene 4, Falstaff escapes being killed by the Scottish warrior Douglas by “counterfeiting,” or playing dead. Then, seeing the slain Hotspur, Falstaff basely stabs him in the thigh and plans to take credit for killing the valiant Percy. Why does Prince Hal go along with Falstaff’s ridiculous, opportunistic claim? Does doing so undercut the redemptive storyline that Prince Hal has been developing throughout 1 Henry IV? Or is there a more positive way to understand Hal’s indulgent treatment of Falstaff’s dishonorable “stolen valor” grab? Explain.

29. In Act 5, Scene 5, what is England’s status at the end of the play? How secure is Henry IV’s throne, and with the first of two “Henry IV” plays now completed, what is your impression not only of him but also of his once wayward heir, Prince Hal? How do the victors deal with those they have captured, and what still remains to be done? Upon reflection about the play as a whole, what image of late-medieval politics and war does it suggest? Is that image surprising, or mostly what we might have expected? Explain.

Edition. Greenblatt, Stephen et al., editors. The Norton Shakespeare: Histories + Digital Edition. 3rd ed. W. W. Norton, 2016. ISBN-13: 978-0-393-93859-3.

Document Timestamp: 9/5/2025 7:22 PM