Henry IV, Part One | King Henry IV (Character Analysis)
He is the king of England, the father of Hal, and the title character of the play. Henry rules as a result of the deposition and murder of his predecessor, Richard II, but seems neither secure nor contented in his role. At the beginning of the play, he describes himself as "shaken" and "wan with care" (I.i.1): his reign so far has been clouded by illness, apparent guilt over his responsibility for Richard's death, and rebellions against his rule. In I.i, he renews his intention to go on a long-promised pilgrimage to atone for his sins against Richard, but his plans are stopped by news of...
[The entire page is 717 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
