King Henry IV, Part 1 (Cliffs Complete) [Paperback]

William Shakespeare (Author), Michael McMahon (Editor), Sidney Lamb (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764585703 | ISBN-13: 978-0764585708 | Publication Date: May 22, 2000 | Edition: 2nd

In the CliffsComplete guides, the novel's complete text and a glossary appear side-by-side with coordinating numbered lines to help you understand unusual words and phrasing. You'll also find all the commentary and resources of a standard CliffsNotes for Literature.

CliffsComplete King Henry IV, Part 1 follows the play's alternating comic and serious scenes as a young prince rebels against his father, who happens to be king, until he must go to the king's aid to stamp out the rebellion of nobles.  

Discover a story of self-sacrifice and meet one of the theatre's most enduring comic characters, Falstaff — and save valuable studying time — all at once. Enhance your reading of King Henry IV with these additional features:

• A summary and insightful commentary for each chapter
• Bibliography and historical background on the author, William Shakespeare
• A look at Early Modern England intellectual, religious, political, and social context
• Coverage of key themes and use of language within the work
• A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
• Review questions, a quiz, discussion guide, and activity ideas
• A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Web sites

Streamline your literature study with all-in-one help from CliffsComplete guides!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This popular play entertains and inspires in alternating comic scenes and serious ones and is the birthplace of one of the theater's greatest characters, Sir John Falstaff. Young Prince Hal rebels against his father the king until he must go to the king's aid to stamp out the rebellion of nobles.

The CliffsComplete King Henry IV, Part 1, is a revised and expanded study edition. It contains Shakespeare's original play, a glossary, and expert commentary in a unique, 2-column format. To enhance your learning, notes and definitions appear directly opposite the line in which they occur, and a review section follows the play. This edition also introduces you to the life, works, and times of William Shakespeare.

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes; 2nd edition (May 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764585703
• ISBN-13: 978-0764585708
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.5 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #798,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the King's New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as "an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers." Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later under James I, called the King's Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlain's Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeare's plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thomas More and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and he wrote poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were published, probably without his authorization, in 1609. In 1611 or 1612 he gave up his lodgings in London and devoted more and more time to retirement in Stratford, though he continued writing such plays as The Tempest and Henry VII until about 1613. He died on April 23 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. No collected edition of his plays was published during his life-time, but in 1623 two members of his acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put together the great collection now called the First Folio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome study tool!, August 4, 2004

By 

Boon (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King Henry IV, Part 1 (Cliffs Complete) (Paperback)

For my International Baccalaureate high school degree, I had to read King Henry IV for my English class. At first, I couldn't make head or tail of what was happening, but after buying this book all the meanings and symbolism came to me. I began to enjoy King Henry IV, and enjoyed it so much that I even went on to read The Merchant of Venice!

This book provides the play script in Shakespearean english, but provides a running dictionary beside the text in order to provide the meanings of all those old words and phrases. At the end of each scene, a summary of the plot, its importance, and a general commentary is provided. The easy to read text is a bonus.