Category: 2 Henry IV

At the end of The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, a “dancer” (V.v.110, stage direction) steps forward to deliver an Epilogue:
Continue reading “The Epilogue: What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been”

At the end of The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, Hal rejects Falstaff in public:
Continue reading “The Kiss-Off: A Speech of Two Kings”

Yesterday , we talked a little about the caring relationship between Falstaff and his Doll in Act Two, Scene Four of The Second Part of Henry the Fourth.
Continue reading “Relationships: Falstaff and Doll (Mind Two)”

In The First Part of Henry the Fourth, we had two and a half couples (Hotspur and Lady Percy, Mortimer and Glendower’s daughter, and Falstaff and Quickly). In The Second Part, we’ve got Hotspur’s mother and father, who exchange only a handful of lines. And that’s it for married couples.

Of course, we also have Falstaff, the admitted serial proposer. And yet it’s not a wife or even a fiancee with whom we see him most. It’s his “whore” (II.iv.), Doll Tearsheet. You’d think that this relationship would purely mercenary (and sure, there are hints of that as he asks, “What stuff wilt have a kirtle of? I shall receive money o’ Thursday” [II.iv.268-269]), but their relationship is surprisingly emotional.
Continue reading “Relationships: Falstaff and Doll (I’m of Two Minds)”

If The First Part of Henry the Fourth introduces John Falstaff, then The Second Part puts him front and center.

Last week, we talked a little about how Falstaff’s role increased in size while Hal’s shrunk. And yesterday, we saw how the play is thrown off balance by Shakespeare’s refusal to have Hal (whom you’d figure would be the main character) interact with either father figure (real or symbolic).
Continue reading “Falstaff”

Yesterday, we discussed the absence of the royals for long stretches of The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, and it weird effect on the dramatic structure of the play. And last week, we touched on the amount of time (stage time and speeches) that each of the three main characters spent in the play.

Let’s take a look on the effect this has…
Continue reading “Lack of Interaction (Hal and Poins, as well)”

The Second Part of Henry the Fourth.

The title alone gives one the impression that the play is going to focus on the king. Now since it can be argued that The First Part dealt mainly with Prince Hal, the whole “part two” concept could give the impression that The Second Part, too, will focus on the heir apparent.
Continue reading “Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (or is that Absence makes the old mind wander)”

For those who listen to the podcast regularly, you know the third of the week is usually devoted to reviews of productions available on DVD or online. This month will be no different. Next Sunday, I’ll cover the 1979 BBC Complete Works of Shakespeare and the 1960 BBC “An Age of Kings” productions, as well as the tape of the Michael Bogdanov-directed English Shakespeare Company production in the massive 23-hour The War of the Roses. These are the usual suspects.

But there is an unusual one as well. In 1967, Orson Welles released, after years of troubled production, his film Chimes at Midnight (European title: Falstaff). The film is his amalgam of the second tetralogy, told from the point of view of the old white-haired devil himself, incorporating The First and Second Parts of Henry the Fourth, with bits and pieces of Richard the Second, Henry the Fifth, and The Merry Wives of Windsor (plus a little narrative from Holinshed).

I won’t be including Chimes at Midnight in this week’s podcast. I’m making this executive decision for a couple of reasons:

• First, I just don’t have enough time this week… the new job is simply not allowing me enough time to do everything I want to do with the blog and podcast.
• Second, we’re not done with Falstaff yet… and I’m going to save this film until we do.