A darker, more worldly play than its exuberant predecessor, 2 Henry IV was probably begun soon after 1 Henry IV, in 1597, but it may have been laid aside while Shakespeare composed The Merry Wives of Windsor: the fact that the February 1598 entry in the *Stationers’ Register for 1 Henry IV does not refer to it as ‘Part 1’ probably indicates that Part 2 had not then been performed. It must pre-date Henry V, however, which could have been completed by late 1598, and so was probably finished and first performed during the spring or summer of 1598.
Text: The play was entered in the Stationers’ Register in August 1600, and appeared in quarto in the same year, as The Second Part of Henry the Fourth (‘Continuing to his death, and coronation of Henry the Fifth. With the humours of Sir John Falstaff, and swaggering Pistol. As it hath been sundry times publically acted by the right honourable the Lord Chamberlain his servants. Written by William Shakespeare.’). This text—set from Shakespeare’s own *foul papers—was reissued, probably in the same year, with the addition of Act 3 Scene 1, omitted from the original printing. The play reappeared in the Folio in 1623 in a text derived from a promptbook but ‘corrected’ by a compositor who, wishing to make the text more literary, also consulted a transcript of the play derived from the quarto version. The Folio text restores material apparently cut from the earlier editions at the insistence of the censors, as well as showing some evidence of independent authorial revision. Much of the censored material (such as Lord Bardolph’s advice on planning a rebellion in 1.3 and the Archbishop’s recapitulation of the rebels’ grievances in 4.1) refers to the fate of the deposed Richard II, and it has usually been assumed that the stirrings of what would become the Earl of *Essex’s rebellion had by 1600 made these speeches look uncomfortably topical. The Folio text has been purged of oaths in compliance with the *Act to Restrain the Abuses of Players, but seems otherwise complete, though in one respect the play does respond to earlier censorship. Although Shakespeare had by now adopted the surname Falstaff for Sir John (though in the quarto one speech prefix still calls him Oldcastle), the play’s Epilogue carefully points out that he is not Oldcastle—thereby, however, drawing attention to the fact that in 1 Henry IV he was.
Sources: As with 1 Henry IV, Shakespeare drew on the anonymous The Famous Victories of Henry V, *Holinshed’s Chronicles and Samuel *Daniel’s Civil Wars, here supplemented by Sir Thomas Elyot’s The Governor (1531), which supplied the story of Prince Harry’s dealings with the Lord Chief Justice. In this play, though, more space is given to the invented adventures of Sir John compared to the historical events of Henry IV’s reign.
Synopsis: In an Induction, Rumour, wearing a robe decorated with images of tongues, explains that the play is about to show false reports about King Henry’s victory at Shrewsbury reaching the malingering Northumberland.
1.1 Lord Bardolph brings Northumberland the supposed news that their fellow rebels have defeated the royal army at Shrewsbury, where the King has been mortally wounded and Northumberland’s son Hotspur has killed Prince Harry: the servant Travers, however, has heard that the rebels have been defeated and Hotspur killed. The truth of Travers’s version of events is confirmed in full by an eyewitness, Morton, who adds that an army led by Prince John and the Earl of Westmorland is on its way northwards. Northumberland, throwing away his pretended sickness, rages, but is calmed by Morton and Lord Bardolph, who reassure him that their rebellion is not fully defeated yet, especially since the Archbishop of York is mustering large numbers to their cause.
1.2 Sir John, accompanied by a small page given him by Prince Harry for the sake of the comic contrast between their sizes, is accosted by the Lord Chief Justice, who we learn has earlier been struck by Prince Harry: though Sir John at first attempts continually to change the subject, he makes it clear that Sir John’s part in the highway robbery (depicted in 1 Henry IV) is well known, rebukes him for misleading Prince Harry, and tells him he has only escaped punishment because of his reputedly good service at the battle of Shrewsbury. He also points out that Sir John has now been sent northwards with Prince John’s forces specifically to separate him from Prince Harry, upon which Sir John, posing as an indispensable war hero, requests the loan of £1,000 towards his expenses. After the Justice leaves, refusing, Sir John sends begging letters to several other figures, reflecting that the limp he has acquired through either venereal disease or gout will at least make him look more eligible for a military pension.
1.3 The Archbishop of York, Mowbray, Hastings, and Lord Bardolph discuss the prospects of their rebellion, comforted to reflect that only a third of the King’s forces can march against them, the rest divided between opposing Glyndŵr in Wales and fighting the French: the Archbishop comments on the fickleness of public opinion, as Henry Bolingbroke’s former supporters are now rallying to them, nostalgic for the dead Richard II.
2.1 Mistress Quickly has Sir John arrested for breach of promise, explaining, before the Lord Chief Justice, who happens to pass, that he has lived at her expense for many years, owes her money, and has promised her marriage. Sir John attempts to convince the Justice that she is mad, but finally takes her aside, renews his promises to her, and convinces her to pawn her silver in order to lend him yet more money: Mistress Quickly even invites him to supper, asking whether he would like the prostitute Doll Tearsheet to be there too. The Justice receives discouraging news of the King’s illness.
2.2 Prince Harry, in self-disgusted conversation with Poins, confides that he is sad about his father’s sickness though he knows Poins will think him a hypocrite to say so. Sir John’s companions Bardolph and the Page bring the Prince a letter in which Sir John warns him that Poins has been boasting that the Prince will marry his sister, though Poins denies this. Harry and Poins learn that Sir John is to dine at the tavern in Eastcheap with Doll Tearsheet and resolve to spy on him there disguised as bar staff.
2.3 Northumberland, about to set off to join the Archbishop’s forces, is dissuaded by his daughter-in-law Lady Percy, Hotspur’s widow, who argues that since Northumberland betrayed her lamented husband he should not keep his word to others. She is seconded by Northumberland’s wife, and Northumberland decides to fly to Scotland until the success or otherwise of the rebellion is more evident.
2.4 In a private room at the tavern Sir John, dining with Mistress Quickly and Doll Tearsheet, is interrupted by the swaggering Pistol, who, after ranting in garbled fragments of Marlovian verse, is finally expelled, after a scuffle, by Bardolph. To the strains of music Sir John takes Doll on his knee, watched and overheard by the disguised Prince and Poins, and speaks disparagingly of the Prince before kissing her, lamenting his age. The Prince and Poins confront him, and he claims to have been deliberately dissuading sinners like Doll from loving the Prince, for his own good. Prince Harry is called away to his father, reproaching himself for wasting his time at the tavern during a crisis, and Sir John too is summoned to join the army, sending back, however, to summon Doll to him before he does so.
3.1 King Henry, in his nightgown, envies his subjects the freedom from anxiety that comes with sleep, before reflecting with Warwick and Surrey on his betrayal, prophesied by Richard II, by the nobles who helped him to power. Warwick, comforting him with the news that Glyndŵr is dead, persuades him to go to bed for fear of worsening his sickness.
3.2 In Warwickshire Sir John is welcomed by his old acquaintances Justice Shallow and Justice Silence, where he chooses recruits from among a number of villagers: the fittest of them, Mouldy and Bullcalf, offer bribes, through Bardolph, to be exempted from military service, and Sir John does not select them despite Shallow’s protests, picking the unimpressive Feeble, Wart, and Shadow instead. Alone, Sir John reflects with amusement at the discrepancy between the insignificant Shallow he remembers and the tales he now tells of his wild youth, planning to fleece him on his return from the impending campaign.
4.1 In the forest of Gaultres, the Archbishop of York, Thomas Mowbray, and Lord Hastings have just heard that Northumberland will not be joining them when Westmorland arrives from the approaching royal army: they outline their grievances to him, and give him a written text of their demands, which he undertakes to give to the royal army’s commander, Prince John. The Archbishop and Hastings try to reassure Mowbray that the King will be willing to make peace with them and will keep to any terms agreed. This is confirmed at a parley between the two armies by Prince John, who promises that all their demands will be met, and drinks with them to peace: as soon as the rebels have dismissed their army, however, he arrests them for capital treason, promising that though they will be executed the grievances to which they have drawn his attention will be redressed.
4.2 Sir John meets a rebel commander, Coleville, who, hearing of his adversary’s identity, surrenders in terror: Sir John hands him over to Prince John, who arrives with Westmorland and soldiers pursuing fleeing rebels, and Coleville is sent to York to be executed. The nobles set off for London, where the King’s sickness has worsened. Sir John reflects that Prince John’s cold nature is the result of insufficient drinking, a fault from which Harry is free, and speaks eloquently of the beneficial effects of consuming sherry-sack.
4.3 On his sickbed, the King speaks of Prince Harry and his anxiety about the chaos that may befall his kingdom when he inherits the throne: Warwick tries in vain to reassure him that the Prince is only studying his present companions, and will renounce them in due course. Westmorland brings news of the defeat of the Archbishop’s forces, and Harcourt news that Northumberland and his Scottish and English confederates have been defeated by the Sheriff of Yorkshire, but this good news brings on a seizure, and the King sleeps, the crown beside him on the pillow, while his nobles speak of omens prophesying his death. Prince Harry arrives, and watches over his father while the others depart: alone with the sleeping King he reflects on the cares that come with the crown and then, sorrowfully convinced that his father has died, takes it and puts it on. After he has left, however, the King awakens, and becomes convinced that his son has taken the crown, wishing him dead: alone with Harry he upbraids him at length, lamenting the riotous reign he is convinced the Prince longs for. A weeping Harry convinces him of the truth, however, and they are reconciled, the King advising Harry that although his inheritance of the crown will be less controversial than his own snatching of it from Richard he should be sure to distract his people with military campaigns abroad to prevent further domestic rebellions. Convinced he is dying, he learns that the room in which he collapsed is called the Jerusalem Chamber, and reflects that it was once prophesied that he would die in Jerusalem but he had always hoped this would be on the crusade he has never been able to lead.
5.1 On his way back from the campaign, Sir John has arrived at Shallow’s house, where he sees the overbearing servant Davy effectively running the entire household: Sir John plans to keep Prince Harry amused with stories and jests involving Shallow.
5.2 The Lord Chief Justice learns to his sorrow from Warwick that the old King has died, and much of the court assembles, including Prince John and his brothers Clarence and Gloucester, all deeply apprehensive about how they will be treated now that the wild Prince Harry has inherited the throne. When Harry arrives, however, he speaks with dignity, promising a well-governed reign, and in response to the Lord Chief Justice’s defence of his earlier decision to send him to prison the new King warmly ratifies his position at the head of the judicial system.
5.3 Sir John, his page, and Bardolph are dining, along with Silence, at Justice Shallow’s house, the meal punctuated by Silence’s unexpected bursts of song, when Pistol arrives in a state of incomprehensible excitement. He brings the news that Prince Harry has inherited the crown, upon which Sir John, convinced that thanks to the new King’s friendship he will have unlimited power and scope, sets eagerly off for London.
5.4 Mistress Quickly and Doll Tearsheet are arrested by beadles, accused of taking part, with Pistol, in a fatal beating.
5.5 Sir John, Shallow, Pistol, Bardolph, and the Page eagerly await King Henry V’s coronation procession, the more so since Sir John has borrowed £1,000 from Shallow on his expectations from the new King: Sir John confidently expects, too, to be able shortly to procure Doll Tearsheet’s release from prison. When the King and his attendants arrive, however, he refuses to recognize Sir John, publicly renouncing his former ways, and declares that if Sir John comes within 10 miles (16 km) of him again he will be put to death. After his departure, Sir John insists that the King will send for him privately later on, but the Lord Chief Justice returns to commit him and his followers to the Fleet prison. Prince John approves, and has heard a rumour that the King means shortly to launch a military campaign in France. An epilogue promises a sequel which will include comic scenes involving Princess Catherine of France, and in which Sir John—who is not Oldcastle, we are reminded—may go to France and die of a sweat.
Artistic features: The play in many respects recapitulates that of 1 Henry IV in a minor key, the Machiavellian defeat of the rebellion a far cry from Hotspur’s heroic death at Shrewsbury, while the sub-plot, though exquisitely funny, is tinged throughout with a melancholy which is only underlined by the potential pathos of Sir John’s final rejection at the hands of Henry V. The scene of the evening at Shallow’s house in Gloucestershire, punctuated by the memories of old men and culminating in the news of a king’s death, has no equal as a simultaneously comic, lyrical, and rueful dramatization of the passage of time.
Critical history: The critical history of this play is in practice impossible to disentangle from that of Part 1, and to a lesser extent the remainder of the *Second Tetralogy: see the reading list appended to the entry on 1 Henry IV.
Stage history: 2 Henry IV has only rarely been acted wholly independently of Part 1: since at least the time of the *Dering manuscript the plays have been largely inseparable in the theatre no less than in criticism. The earliest post-Restoration revival came when *Betterton produced a cut version in which he extended his depiction of Falstaff, but the play was better known in the 18th century for the role of Pistol, memorably played by Theophilus *Cibber (who was nicknamed Pistol for the rest of his career). In the 19th century it was revived by *Macready in 1821 to mark the coronation of George IV (a production which later visited New York), and from then onwards more attention seems to have been paid to the role of Justice Shallow, which Samuel *Phelps doubled with the King in 1853 and at intervals thereafter. In the 20th century Laurence *Olivier’s performance as Shallow alongside Ralph *Richardson’s poignant but impish Falstaff, at the New Theatre in 1945, entered the realms of legend.
On the screen: See Henry iv Part 1.
Michael Dobson