Henry IV, Part 2 (The New Folger Library Shakespeare) - Softcover

Shakespeare, William; Mowat, Dr. Barbara A.; Werstine PhD., Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0671722646 ISBN 13: 9780671722647

Publisher: Pocket Books, 1999

Synopsis

The classic play about an aging king, leaning on war hero Sir John Falstaff rather than his unreliable son and heir when rebels threaten the crown, is accompanied by explanatory notes and illustrations

About this title

Review

Written in 1598, hard on the heels of the massive popular success of Henry IV Part One, Henry IV Part Two takes up where the first part finished, and completes Shakespeare's portrayal of the troubled reign of Henry IV. Rebellion has apparently been quelled, but dissension still permeates the country, and Henry is disillusioned, sick and dying. After the pace and comedy of Part One., Part Two is a much more subdued and gloomy affair. The tone is set by the early appearance of Falstaff, who relishes the possibilities of easy picking in the face of more civil unrest with his sinister quip that "I will turn diseases to commodity".

The drama focuses on Henry IV's difficult relationship with his son Prince Hal, and the latter's gradual emergence as a charismatic sovereign. In the process he sheds his image as a prodigal wastrel dramatised in the first half of Part One, assuming the title of King Henry V in the closing scenes of Part Two. Perhaps the most poignant moment of the whole play remains Henry's cold-blooded rejection of Falstaff, his surrogate father for much of Part One. "I know thee not, old man" he tells the crushed Falstaff as he assumes the royal crown, preparing the audience for the type of monarch they will see in Shakeseare's subsequent dramatisation of English history, Henry V. --Jerry Brotton

Review

enjoys the same high standards of design and production as its predecessors. The text pages clearly differentiate text, collation, and notes; the documentation is full but inconspicuous; and it has been well proof-read ... Dr Weis provides an economical but illuminating discussion of Shakespeare's sources ... The annotations throughout are lucid and economical, responsive to both levels of plot. ... Rene Weis's edition can be recommended as a thoughtful and sensitive response to the play, which ranks alongside the outstanding 1966 New Arden edition by R A Humphreys. ( Brian Vickers, ROES, vol 50 no 200 (1999))

Edition details

• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0671722646
• ISBN 13: 9780671722647
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 338