Henry IV, Part II

This sequel takes up the story after the battle of Shrewsbury, as the rebellion against King Henry IV sputters on under the Archbishop of York. The aging king grows sick and weary, haunted by how he seized the crown, while his son Prince Hal still lingers among the tavern crowd. Sir John Falstaff, now trading on borrowed fame, recruits ragged country soldiers and dodges his creditors through a string of comic scenes. When the king dies and Hal is crowned Henry V, he coldly casts off his old companion, a moment that has troubled and moved audiences for centuries. A quiet melancholy runs beneath the humor here. Read the full play in this free PDF and EPUB edition.