Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Making of a King, August 14, 2000
Shakespeare's "Henry IV Part II" concerns the triumphant decline of King Henry IV, and the ascension of his son, Henry, Prince of Wales, to the throne as King Henry V. As in "Henry IV Part I," Part II's main action concerns the attempts of the King to suppress civil strife, which is manifested once again in threatened rebellion. In "Henry IV Part II," the rebels are led by Scroop, the Archbishop of York, the most powerful religious figure in England. The Archbishop's involvement "turns insurrection to religion," thereby hoping to gain popular support and enlistment in the army against Henry IV. Henry, Prince of Wales, as the next in line to the throne, is expected to take a hard line against these threats, and lead the charge against the rebel forces. However, as in Part I, Prince Henry is nervous, as a young man will be, about accepting responsibility for himself, much less for an entire nation. A frivolous youth, he associates with the common folk in bars and taverns, led in his debaucheries by the notoriously comic Sir John Falstaff. The dichotomy between Prince Henry's father figures, the frail, but courageous King Henry IV and the robust, but cowardly Falstaff sets up the scope of the choice Prince Henry must make. His choice, he comes to realize, will affect the course of his country. The forces mount as the play moves forward - the King's army is ordered, well-equipped, and led by formidable generals - the Archbishop's army is made up largely of untrained citizens. The meeting of the armies' leaders in the Gaultree Forest of Yorkshire is the emotional and tactical climax of the play, and handled with dramatic precision by Shakespeare. The growth of Prince Henry, the shaping of his mind, his relationships with his noble father and brothers, as well as those with his low, vulgar drinking buddies, forms the focus of "Henry IV Part II." Through five deceptively simple acts, Shakespeare illustrates the birth of a man and a king, and points the way to domestic peace. This is a play I enjoyed very much indeed, and would recommend reading alongside "Henry IV Part I" for maximum effect.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The single editions have much more background, June 26, 2003
This is the play where Henry IV squashes the Percy rebellion but himself becomes ill and dies. So, Price Hal becomes King Henry V and this leads to the next play of that name.The wonderful Falstaff is also on glorious display. This is also the play with the famous tavern scene (Act II, Scene IV) that can be read endlessly with new enjoyment. Everyone has his or her own take on Falstaff and his treatment at the hands of Henry V, but I dislike it even though I understand it. Prince Hal and his transformation into Henry V is not someone I admire a lot. Nor is Falstaff's manner of living, but his wit is so sharp and his intelligence so vast that it is easy to still delight in him. But, you certainly don't need me to tell you anything about Shakespeare. Like millions of other folks, I am in love with the writing. However, as all of us who read Shakespeare know, it isn't a simple issue. Most of us need help in understanding the text. There are many plays on words, many words no longer current in English and, besides, Shakespeare's vocabulary is richer than almost everyone else's who ever lived. There is also the issue of historical context, and the variations of text since the plays were never published in their author's lifetime. For those of us who need that help and want to dig a bit deeper, the Arden editions of Shakespeare are just wonderful. -Before the text of the play we get very readable and helpful essays discussing the sources and themes and other important issues about the play.
-In the text of the play we get as authoritative a text as exists with helpful notes about textual variations in other sources. We also get many many footnotes explaining unusual words or word plays or thematic points that would likely not be known by us reading in the 21st century. -After the text we get excerpts from likely source materials used by Shakespeare and more background material to help us enrich our understanding and enjoyment of the play. However, these extras are only available in the individual editions. If you buy the "Complete Plays" you get text and notes, but not the before and after material which add so much! Plus, the individual editions are easier to read from and handier to carry around.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Worthy Sequel to "Richard II.", March 24, 2000
To get as much as you can out of this play, you MUST read "Richard II" first. Shakespeare deserves much credit for making the villain in "Richard II" (King Henry IV) the hero in this play. It is in this play that King Henry IV realizes political gratitude is short lived and Richard's prediction of Henry IV's trials comes true. Not only does King Henry IV realize that his seizing the crown came with consequences. but he also has to deal with his riotous son (the eventual Henry V). 3.2, where King Henry IV confronts his undisciplined son is quite memorable. Besides all this, Shakespeare introduces us to his comical Falstaff. So we have an interesting turn of events, dramatic confrontations, scenes of war, and comical touches. ENJOY!
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