In the play, King Henry worries that his seemingly good-for-nothin' son, who also happens to be heir to the throne, will get his hands on the crown and be a terrible and incompetent king. Historical events resonate with current political issues, including matters of kingship, constitution, and rebellion: When we say 'current' political issues, we mean around the 1590s, when Henry IV Part 1 was written. It's really interested in how English history shapes the present, which brings us to our next point. Besides, this is really no big whoop since the play doesn't pretend to be a history textbook. Hey, what do you want? The guy's working with a five act play here. are modified or just flat out wrong, and some events (like the 1592 dust-up with the Welsh and the 1593 showdown with Scottish invaders) get shmooshed together. But, we should also point out that Big Willy portrays history according to Big Willy, which means the play sometimes strays from the 'facts' and tweaks little bits of information that Shakespeare gathered from sources like Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles. More specifically, the play dramatizes stuff that happened between 14 РІР‚вЂњ England's border skirmishes with Wales and Scotland, the Percy family's rebellion, and the Battle at Shrewsbury between the king's forces and the rebel army. Henry IV Part 1 portrays events from the early part of King Henry IV's reign. Portraying English historical events: This seems easy enough. That's kind of a mouthful and we know you've got several burning questions that need answering so let's break down this definition and get specific. In the case of Henry IV Part 1, Shakespeare also blends the comedic antics of fictional characters with historical figures. Critics are always bickering about the exact definition of a history play but here's one that everyone seems to agree on: Shakespearean history plays portray English historical events (history according to Shakespeare, we should point out) that resonate with current political issues, including matters of kingship, constitution, and rebellion. What the heck does that mean? Can we use the play to study for our quiz on Elizabethan history? Does 'history play' mean it's not funny? Can we get a definition please? Sure thing. Literary critics refer to Henry IV Part 1 as a 'history play.' We know what you're thinking.

Shmoop henry iv part 1