Tabling: King Henry IV Part I Act I

Will McKay, Zoë Goslin, Levi Morger and Ariana Karpdiscuss Act I of King Henry IV Part I. Among the topics discussed:

  • All three worlds in the first act
  • Henry IV’s reign characterized by civil war, his belief in the importance of a Crusade to the Holy Land
  • Henry’s language characterized by metaphor and personification
  • “Beastly shameless transformation” of the dead bodies by Welsh women
  • Miscommunication and misinformation during the battle scenes
  • Hal’s balance of thought and expectation, Hal as observer
  • Falstaff’s aspirations for the glorification of thieves title - and his attempt to influence domestic policy
  • What is Poin’s status?
  • The title of “sweet” as a term of endearment and intimacy for the tavern folk
  • Hotspur’s disdain for the court and politics
  • The danger and daring of the conspiracy being initiated in the throne room
Roger Alum and Jamie Parker in the Globe's production of King Henry IV Part I. 
Tabling: King Henry IV Part I Act I Discussion
Tabling: The Podcast