Episode 30 - Henry IV Part 1

Prince Hal, Hotspur, and Falstaff make up three of Shakespeare's most memorable characters, and they're all found in the same play! Join us for an exploration of the themes, dynamics, and characters of this first part of the second Henriad Trilogy. If the tricky numerology won't get you, the play itself probably will, filled as it with hilarious scenes, beautiful language, and a straightforward, easy to follow story.

Notes:

• The IMDB entry on the BBC production solves many of our questions about actors' names, as usual.
• John Oldcastle is the primary historical source for Falstaff.

Ancient Bickerings:

This episode we dive into Hal's true intentions towards Falstaff: attentive son (or son surrogate), or shifty elderly-abuser? While we don't frame it quite that way, the play has more than enough room for interpretation of Henry's role in Falstaff's inevitable downfall.