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Henry IV, Part II

First published: 1597
Pages: 124

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About this book

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.

About the author

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright and poet who lived during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and authored approximately 37 plays and 154 sonnets that explore themes of love, power, ambition, and human nature.