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The rebellion against King Henry IV goes on, now led by the Archbishop of York, while the king, sick and sleepless ('uneasy lies the head that wears a…
The rebellion against King Henry IV goes on, now led by the Archbishop of York, while the king, sick and sleepless ('uneasy lies the head that wears a crown'), worries about his heir. Prince Hal still spends time with Falstaff, who travels into the country to recruit soldiers, takes bribes to release the fittest ones and reminisces with his old friend Justice Shallow about their wild youth. When the old king dies, Hal becomes Henry V and must decide what to do about Falstaff.
Context and significance
Written around 1597 or 1598, the play is darker and more autumnal than Part 1, full of age, sickness and memory, and its ending, the new king's rejection of his old friend, is one of the most painful moments in Shakespeare. This edition gives the First Folio text of 1623; the play's first printing had come in 1600. Read Henry V next.
About the author
William Shakespeare (1564–1616), born in Stratford-upon-Avon, actor, playwright and shareholder of a London company, wrote about thirty-seven plays and 154 sonnets.