1. William Shakespeare and Henry IV, Part 1

2. William Shakespeare: Poet, Playwright, Social Deviant, Gentleman
Baptized in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwickshire, England) on April 26, 1564.
No record of his actual birthday was recorded, but it is widely accepted that he was born within a week of his baptism.

3. William Shakespeare: Poet, Playwright, Social Deviant, Gentleman
Early Life and Education:
Educated at the local grammar school, The King’s New School of Stratford-upon-Avon (15??-1578). He likely received the standard education for the day:
Latin
English history (unsurprisingly biased based upon the current monarch)
Greek Philosophy and Poetry
Anglican Theology
In his studies and own time, he became well-versed in Roman drama, which often retold Greek classics in their own ways.
He often used these earlier works as source material: he did not plagiarize; he “reimagined” or “updated” the narratives as he deemed fit.
Would have been familiar with the story of Ulysses (if not Odysseus), Metamorphoses, and the Oedipus Cycle.

4. William Shakespeare: Poet, Playwright, Social Deviant, Gentleman
Married Anne Hathaway on November 27/28, 1582.
By 1592, he was a well-known and actor and dramatist in London.
In 1593, the Earl of Southampton became his patron and he made his formal poetic debut with Venus and Adonis.
For the next two decades, he wrote 38 total plays (that we definitively know of).

5. William Shakespeare: Poet, Playwright, Social Deviant, Gentleman
In 1594, Shakespeare (re)joined the acting troupe, Lord Chamberlain’s Men, and further advanced his stage career.
This time, however, he began to focus more prominently on writing plays.
1594 also marks the first recorded instance of Shakespeare (as a part of Lord Chamberlain’s Men) performing before Queen Elizabeth I.
Shakespeare and theatre were rising in station and influence—once deviant and dangerous, now intriguing and fashionable to those in power.
Think the Beatles of the 1960s or NWA of the early 1990s…
1596-7: The estimated composition date of Henry IV, Part 1 (or 1 Henry IV); it appeared in a quarto in 1598

6. William Shakespeare: Poet, Playwright, Social Deviant, Gentleman
By 1596, Shakespeare finally had enough money and some social esteem to earn a coat of arms for his family—which was his father’s lifelong ambition.
A coat of arms signifies a family’s “permanent” move into the upper class in British society.
This event, though fairly inconsequential, was significant for Shakespeare and slightly distanced him from the disreputable world of the Southwark (the “South Bank” of the Thames.
But he was still considered an outsider to more established classes

7. William Shakespeare: Poet, Playwright, Social Deviant, Gentleman

8. William Shakespeare: Poet, Playwright, Social Deviant, Gentleman
1599: Lord Chamberlain’s Men purchase the Globe Theatre and Shakespeare resigns himself to writing, producing, and directing plays, only taking minor parts when an additional actor was required.
This theatre was located in Southwark and was one of the more popular theatres of its time.

9. William Shakespeare: Poet, Playwright, Social Deviant, Gentleman
1597: Bought a home in Stratford-upon-Avon, the estate to which he eventually retired and lived the final years of his life.
No plays are attributed to him after 1613.
Died on April 23, 1616.
“His” works were not formally published until 1623 when friends John Heminges and Henry Condell printed The First Folio. Most of his early works were sketchy compositions of lines—quartos—from actors, not full, official works.

10. Elizabethan Theatre Types of Plays Limitations of the Stage:
Comedy: High and Low
Tragedy
Mystery
Miracle
Morality
Passion
Limitations of the Stage:
Performances took place during the day for lighting purposes.
Effects were impressive for the time but fairly crude.
The lower pit was generally filled with the lower class while the balconies and seated areas were dominated by those of “higher” classes.
Importance of Script
“Acting on the line”
Context for gesture is in the actual language

11. Shakespearean Language

12. 1 Henry IV
Composed in two separate parts, rather than one continuous play.
Scholars continue to debate whether they should generally be considered as separate works or as a single dramatic unit.
We will treat them as separate for the sake of thematic importance (each part has different thematic concerns/ethical ends) and time left in the course.
Some scholars consider this play as the second act of a tetralogy beginning with Richard II, then Henry IV (Parts 1 and 2), and ending with Henry V.
At the publication of the First Folio in 1623, 1 Henry IV was only of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, while the second part shows little record of similar popularity…

13. Actual Historical Background
1399: Henry Bolingbroke deposes his cousin, Richard II, to become King Henry IV.
Seized power while Richard II was warring in Ireland; Richard II was imprisoned and died “mysteriously” shortly thereafter.
1403: Owen Glendower and Henry Percy, British noblemen, merge their rebellion efforts, culminating at the Battle of Shrewsbury.
Henry IV prevailed won this conflict; both rebellions continued intermittently for the next decade.
This battle serves as the climax of the play.
1413: Henry IV dies, Henry V assumes the throne.
1415: Henry V defeats the French forces in the Battle of Agincourt, despite overwhelming odds, and becomes a renowned monarch/national hero.
1596-7: Shakespeare writes 1 Henry IV, a “historical” play

14. 1 Henry IV : A Play Divided
The Royal Court
The Public House
Setting: Takes place in the palace or in castles of noblemen
Topic: discussions are centered around politics, power, and propriety
Style: elevated, formal, regal, gravely serious
Characters: political heavyweights of royalty or aristocracy, mostly older men
Setting: the pub or the woods
Topic: discussions are centered around mockery, pranks, and having a good time
Style: informal, colloquial, “savage” burns
Characters: shady people, common people, “how the other half lives”

15. Henry IV, Part 1: Dramatis Personae
Royals
King Henry IV:
also referred to as Henry Bolingbroke; overthrew Richard II prior to the events of this play
Prince John of Lancaster:
Hal’s younger brother and next in line for the throne
Earl of Westmoreland:
close ally of Henry IV
Rebels
Hotspur:
contemporary and chief rival of Hal; also referred to as Sir Henry, Harry Percy, or Percy; leads conspiratorial forces with his father, Northumberland
Lady Percy:
Hotspur’s wife; also referred to as Kate
Earl of Northumberland:
Henry Percy, Hotspur’s father; crafts conspiracy
Earl of Worcester:
also referred to as Thomas Percy; Hotspur’s uncle; supports Percy conspiracy
Owen Glendower:
Welshman and father of Lady Mortimer; supports Percy rebellion
Edmund Mortimer:
English nobleman and son-in-law of Glendower; previously had a claim to throne before Henry IV
Archibald of Douglas:
Scottish rebel leader against Monmouth family, loosely connected to Percy rebellion; generally anti-English
Commoners
Prince Hal:
Prince of Wales; heir to the throne; referred to as Hal, Harry, or Harry Monmouth; later becomes English hero, Henry V
Sir John Falstaff:
older, portly, knight of the realm; minor “aristocrat”
Poins, Bardolph, Peto:
“highwaymen” and friends of Hal/Falstaff.
Hostess:
Keeper of the public house
Francis:
apprentice tapster (bartender)
Any minor working class character:
Carriers
Ostlers
Chamberlain
Travelers
Sherriff
Servants
Lords
Attendants
Messengers
Soldiers

16. Introduction to Dialectic Discourse
Dialectics:
What it is NOT:
Debate (2 committed views trying to prove which side is correct)
Rhetoric (style of convincing the audience by appealing to ethos, pathos, and logos)
What it is:
Connecting two conflicting ideas to find a combined, larger truth
Aims to find the truth above all else, must have conflict and various/divergent viewpoints
Probing the layers and gray area for meaning and finding a sharper, fuller truth as a result
Key Terms: Juxtaposition, inversion, point/counterpoint, thesis/antithesis, foils, and dichotomy
From the Riverside Shakespeare Anthology introduction to 1 Henry IV:
“Shuttling from scenes of state and grave affairs to scenes of bawdy wit and dissipation, Shakespeare weaves a rich design where each detail is set against its complementary and contrasting opposite so that they may sharpen one another.”—Hershel Baker

17. Henry IV, Part 1: Major Themes
Dialectics: Contrast, Juxtaposition, Inversion, Dichotomy, Foils, Parallels, Counterpoints
Genre Blending: Comedy, Political Intrigue/Thriller, Tragedy, Problem Play
Bildungsroman: Process of Maturation
Father/Son (or Mentor/Mentoree) Relationships
Ethical Loyalty and Rebellion: Politics, Family, or Country?
Power, Politics and Leadership
Violence and War
Humor and Lifestyle
Hero v. Antihero
The Role of the Common Man
Evaluating Argument/Viewpoints