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A review by richardleis
Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare
5.0
I'm only four plays into William Shakespeare's oeuvre, but of these, three are masterpieces and the fourth only a little less so because I found it the most difficult to comprehend, because of its cultural differences.
2 Henry IV is one of the masterpieces.
The play is complex and compelling. At first it read to me like a retread of Part 1, only a little bit bigger in scope, like a sequel to a summer movie blockbuster. One signature of a great sequel is if it puts the original in a new light. Keeping in mind that this is really Play #3 of a second tetralogy of plays based on the history of successive Kings in England's history, 2 Henry IV as a sequel elevates the already amazing 1 Henry IV. I found myself recalling the Part 1 frequently, but also seeing them in a different light. Character arcs take on new scope and invite new insights when considering the two plays together.
Part 2 itself quickly became something unique with plot twists and heartfelt drama that left me surprised, emotional, and pondering. I will keep this spoiler-free, but will say that Prince Hal and his relationships with his various fathers that was for me the most compelling aspect of this play.
One measure of how great this play reads: it kept me reading despite exhaustion and deadlines. I raced through the final fifty pages as the drama reached its surprising conclusions.
The edition I read had exhaustive footnotes, which can slow down the reading. They were very useful, however, and they provide a glimpse at the pedantic world of academia focused on Shakespeare and the historical and literary contexts of his work. I also had an opportunity to sample some of the introduction that discusses these in detail. I was especially curious about the liberties Shakespeare took in his play with recorded history.
Shakespeare's plays demand more than just one reading and I definitely hope to revisits these plays at a more leisurely pace with more attention to the academia written about them. On their own, in class or out, Shakespeare's play are phenomenal. 2 Henry IV might be my favorite so far.
2 Henry IV is one of the masterpieces.
The play is complex and compelling. At first it read to me like a retread of Part 1, only a little bit bigger in scope, like a sequel to a summer movie blockbuster. One signature of a great sequel is if it puts the original in a new light. Keeping in mind that this is really Play #3 of a second tetralogy of plays based on the history of successive Kings in England's history, 2 Henry IV as a sequel elevates the already amazing 1 Henry IV. I found myself recalling the Part 1 frequently, but also seeing them in a different light. Character arcs take on new scope and invite new insights when considering the two plays together.
Part 2 itself quickly became something unique with plot twists and heartfelt drama that left me surprised, emotional, and pondering. I will keep this spoiler-free, but will say that Prince Hal and his relationships with his various fathers that was for me the most compelling aspect of this play.
One measure of how great this play reads: it kept me reading despite exhaustion and deadlines. I raced through the final fifty pages as the drama reached its surprising conclusions.
The edition I read had exhaustive footnotes, which can slow down the reading. They were very useful, however, and they provide a glimpse at the pedantic world of academia focused on Shakespeare and the historical and literary contexts of his work. I also had an opportunity to sample some of the introduction that discusses these in detail. I was especially curious about the liberties Shakespeare took in his play with recorded history.
Shakespeare's plays demand more than just one reading and I definitely hope to revisits these plays at a more leisurely pace with more attention to the academia written about them. On their own, in class or out, Shakespeare's play are phenomenal. 2 Henry IV might be my favorite so far.