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paigeqthompson's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
erin_bowyer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
professor_dinosaur's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
leesmyth's review against another edition
5.0
The Sources and Commentaries at the end are interesting - esp. comparison with another dramatist's use of the material in "The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth"
rc90041's review against another edition
4.0
Just here to say that the insults are the real heart of this play. They are amazing.
Thou mad mustachio purple-hued maltworm
Thou whoreson grease tallow catch
Thou dish of skim milk
Thou bacon-fed knave
Thou swoll’n parcel of dropsies
Thou stuffed cloakbag of guts
Thou whoreson caterpillar
Thou fawning greyhound
Thou fat-kidneyed rascal
About 80% of the insults are fat jokes made at Falstaff's expense. I have to admit that I have not yet been bowled over by the purported expansive genius of Falstaff that Harold Bloom and Mark Van Doren love to extol, but I'll report back after Part 2.
Hotspur is entertainingly short-tempered and quick to fly off the handle. His freak out when the King won't ransom Mortimer from the Welsh is so great:
He said he would not ransom Mortimer;
Forbad my tongue to speak of Mortimer;
But I will find him when he lies asleep,
And in his ear I'll holla "Mortimer!"
Nay,
I'll have a starling shall be taught to speak
Nothing but "Mortimer," and I'll give it to him,
to keep his anger still in motion.
(I.iii.219-26)
This is great shit-talking (perhaps reminding the reader of Method Man's boasts of how he would torture his enemies on Enter the Wu-Tang). The play is quick and entertaining, and much of it takes place in a pub where people drunkenly take the piss out of each other. Is it as incredible as it's been built up to be over the centuries? I'm not sure. But you'll pick up some excellent insults for your repertoire.
Thou mad mustachio purple-hued maltworm
Thou whoreson grease tallow catch
Thou dish of skim milk
Thou bacon-fed knave
Thou swoll’n parcel of dropsies
Thou stuffed cloakbag of guts
Thou whoreson caterpillar
Thou fawning greyhound
Thou fat-kidneyed rascal
About 80% of the insults are fat jokes made at Falstaff's expense. I have to admit that I have not yet been bowled over by the purported expansive genius of Falstaff that Harold Bloom and Mark Van Doren love to extol, but I'll report back after Part 2.
Hotspur is entertainingly short-tempered and quick to fly off the handle. His freak out when the King won't ransom Mortimer from the Welsh is so great:
He said he would not ransom Mortimer;
Forbad my tongue to speak of Mortimer;
But I will find him when he lies asleep,
And in his ear I'll holla "Mortimer!"
Nay,
I'll have a starling shall be taught to speak
Nothing but "Mortimer," and I'll give it to him,
to keep his anger still in motion.
(I.iii.219-26)
This is great shit-talking (perhaps reminding the reader of Method Man's boasts of how he would torture his enemies on Enter the Wu-Tang). The play is quick and entertaining, and much of it takes place in a pub where people drunkenly take the piss out of each other. Is it as incredible as it's been built up to be over the centuries? I'm not sure. But you'll pick up some excellent insults for your repertoire.
meals's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
situationnormal's review against another edition
4.0
Probably my favorite of Shakespeare's histories. The whole Hal/Henry dynamic was interesting to me, and the Falstaff/Hal dynamic, and even the whole comparison/contrast between Hotspur/Hal. Basically, this is a play about Henry V, even though it's called Henry IV. And I'm completely down with that.
chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition
3.0
This story was difficult for me to begin, because it was tricky to keep the large cast of characters straight, especially since they often go by multiple names. By the second half, I was fairly engaged with the plot and could track the most important characters. It helped that I read Richard II first and went over it in class just last week.