Context

So through a series of bloody civil wars between the Lancasters and the Yorks, otherise known as the war of the roses, one man has come out on top: a man who goes by Richard. We’ve watched him fight nobly and not so nobly for the past two plays and finally we come to his play. ‘King Richard III’. At the beginning of the play, he tells us all about how he cannot be loved because of his physical deformities, despite all his other great features. And therefore he will be the most villainy villain that ever villained. He plans to take the throne, but in order to do that, there’s a whole lot of people that he’s going to have to kill to get there. At this point, his brother Edward the current King is very unwell, and there’s just one brother that stands in his way, Clarence, from being in direct line to the throne. In this scene, he is about to send assassins to kill Clarence but not without turning the nobles against each other first to create chaos. Enter Queen Margaret, unseen. She hides in the room with them all, listening to what they say and cursing them for it. Because he used to be the Queen, before the current King murdered her husband King Henry VI. After listening for a while she steps forward and curses them all, telling them that they are quarreling over something that was stolen from her. While she curses the other nobles Richard tells her to stop, and she justly replies:

Original Text

And leave out thee? Stay, dog, for thou shalt hear me.
If heaven have any grievous plague in store
Exceeding those that I can wish upon thee,
O, let them keep it till thy sins be ripe
And then hurl down their indignation
On thee, the troubler of the poor world’s peace.
The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul.
Thy friends suspect for traitors while thou liv’st,
And take deep traitors for thy dearest friends.
No sleep close up that deadly eye of thine,
Unless it be while some tormenting dream
Affrights thee with a hell of ugly devils.
Thou elvish-marked, abortive, rooting hog,
Thou that wast sealed in thy nativity
The slave of nature and the son of hell,
Thou slander of thy heavy mother’s womb,
Thou loathèd issue of thy father’s loins,
Thou rag of honor, thou detested—

Unfamiliar Language

Grievous: Awful, horrible
Plague: Sickness
Ripe: Ready
Indignation: Anger, Upset
Troubler: Person who is causing problems
Begnaw: Eat, Gnaw
Liv’st: Live
Affrights: Frightens
Elvish-Marked: Marked at birth by spirits
Rooting: Trained to dig
Nativity: Birth
Rag: Worthless

Modern Translation

And leave you out? Don’t go anywhere, dog, because you’re going to listen to me.
If heaven has anything in store for you,
That’s worse than what I’m going to give you
Let them save it for when you’ve really sinned
And then throw their anger down on you,
The person who ruins the worlds peace.
May the worm of morality eat away at your soul.
May you think of your dearest friends as traitors
And your biggest traitors as your dearest friends.
May you never be able to close your evil eyes to sleep
Unless it’s to have horrific nightmares
About a hell filled with ugly demons.
You cursed, premature, working pig.
You that was cursed from birth
To be the joke of nature and a devil,
You mockery of your mothers broken womb,
You hated sperm of your fathers loins,
You dirty rag of dishonor, you disgusting-

Notes on Performance

So the first thing I’m going to suggest, as always is to be as across the given circumstances in this scene as possible, that means knowing who we are, where we are, when it is, what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and how we’re going to do it!

Which brings me to my next point. It is a lot of reading and potentially watching (you do you), but I would highly recommend if you’re going to be performing anything from the Henriad to be as across the history of these characters as possible, especially Margaret. At least get a basic understanding of the role she plays in Henry Vi part 1 and 2. There’s a wealth of knowledge to be found in these plays!

Lastly, this is one of the few monologues in the histories where one of the female characters really gets to just fly off the handle in rage. Embrace that! Dig deep and don’t hold back on the hatred she has for these people, because it’s for good reason.

The post Queen Margaret Monologue (Act 1, Scene 3) appeared first on StageMilk.

The Comedy of Errors Monologues

Luciana Act 3 Scene 2

And may it be that you have quite forgot
A husband’s office? shall, Antipholus,
Even in the spring of love, thy love-springs rot?
Shall love in building grow so ruinous ?
If you did wed my sister for her wealth,
Then for her wealth’s sake use her with more kindness;
Or if you like elsewhere, do it by stealth,
Muffle your false love with some show of blindness.
Let not my sister read it in your eye;
Be not thy tongue thy own shame’s orator;
Look sweet, speak fair, become disloyalty;
Apparel vice like virtue’s harbinger;
Bear a fair presence, though your heart be tainted;
Teach sin the carriage of a holy saint,
Be secret false; what need she be acquainted?
What simple thief brags of his own attaint ?
’Tis double wrong to truant with your bed,
And let her read it in thy looks at board;
Shame hath a bastard fame, well managed;
Ill deeds is doubled with an evil word.
Alas, poor women, make us but believe
(Being compact of credit) that you love us;
Though others have the arm, show us the sleeve;
We in your motion turn, and you may move us.
Then, gentle brother, get you in again;
Comfort my sister, cheer her, call her wife;
’Tis holy sport to be a little vain
When the sweet breath of flattery conquers strife.

Antipholus Act III Scene ii

Sweet mistress, what your name is else I know not,
Nor by what wonder you do hit of mine;
Less in your knowledge and your grace you show not
Than our earth’s wonder, more than earth divine.
Teach me, dear creature, how to think and speak;
Lay open to my earthly gross conceit,
Smother’d in errors, feeble, shallow, weak,
The folded meaning of your words’ deceit.
Against my soul’s pure truth, why labour you
To make it wander in an unknown field?
Are you a god? Would you create me new?
Transform me then, and to your power I’ll yield.
But if that I am I, then well I know
Your weeping sister is no wife of mine,
Nor to her bed no homage do I owe;
Far more, far more to you do I decline;
O, train me not, sweet mermaid, with thy note
To drown me in thy sister’s flood of tears;
Sing, siren, for thyself, and I will dote;
Spread o’er the silver waves thy golden hairs,
And as a bed I’ll take thee, and there lie,
And in that glorious supposition think
He gains by death that hath such means to die;
Let love, being light, be drowned if she sink.

Adriana Act II Scene ii

Ay, ay, Antipholus, look strange and frown,
Some other mistress hath thy sweet aspects;
I am not Adriana, nor thy wife.
The time was once when thou unurg’d wouldst vow
That never words were music to thine ear,
That never object pleasing in thine eye,
That never touch well welcome to thy hand,
That never meat sweet-savour’d in thy taste,
Unless I spake, or look’d, or touch’d, or carv’d to thee.
How comes it now, my husband, O, how comes it,
That thou art then estranged from thyself?—
Thyself I call it, being strange to me,
That undividable, incorporate,
Am better than thy dear self’s better part.
Ah, do not tear away thyself from me;
For know, my love, as easy mayst thou fall
A drop of water in the breaking gulf,
And take unmingled thence that drop again
Without addition or diminishing,
As take from me thyself, and not me too.
How dearly would it touch thee to the quick,
Shouldst thou but hear I were licentious?
And that this body, consecrate to thee,
By ruffian lust should be contaminate?
Wouldst thou not spit at me, and spurn at me,
And hurl the name of husband in my face,
And tear the stain’d skin off my harlot brow,
And from my false hand cut the wedding-ring,
And break it with a deep-divorcing vow?
I know thou canst; and therefore, see thou do it!
I am possess’d with an adulterate blot,
My blood is mingled with the crime of lust;
For if we two be one, and thou play false,
I do digest the poison of thy flesh,
Being strumpeted by thy contagion.
Keep then fair league and truce with thy true bed,
I live unstain’d , thou undishonoured.

Courtisan Act IV, Scene iii

Now out of doubt Antipholus is mad,
Else would he never so demean himself;
A ring he hath of mine worth forty ducats,
And for the same he promis’d me a chain;
Both one and other he denies me now.
The reason that I gather he is mad,
Besides this present instance of his rage,
Is a mad tale he told to-day at dinner
Of his own doors being shut against his entrance.
Belike his wife, acquainted with his fits,
On purpose shut the doors against his way—
My way is now to hie home to his house,
And tell his wife that, being lunatic,
He rush’d into my house and took perforce
My ring away. This course I fittest choose,
For forty ducats is too much to lose.

Balthazar Act III Scene i

Have patience, sir, O, let it not be so;
Herein you war against your reputation,
And draw within the compass of suspect
Th’unviolated honour of your wife.
Once this,— your long experience of her wisdom,
Her sober virtue, years and modesty,
Plead on her part some cause to you unknown;
And doubt not, sir, but she will well excuse
Why at this time the doors are made against you.
Be rul’d by me, depart in patience,
And let us to the Tiger all to dinner,
And about evening, come yourself alone
To know the reason of this strange restraint.
If by strong hand you offer to break in
Now in the stirring passage of the day,
A vulgar comment will be made of it;
And that supposed by the common rout
Against your yet ungalled estimation,
That may with foul intrusion enter in,
And dwell upon your grave when you are dead;
For slander lives upon succession,
For e’er hous’d where it gets possession.

Conclusion

So there are some of the highlights of The Comedy of Errors Monologues. While Shakespeare’s comedies often get a bad rap for being outdated and for having jokes that are lost to sands of time, what we think this play offers to counter that is some truly contemporary feeling text and jokes that stand the test of time.

For more Shakespeare Monologues

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Synopsis

So when we start the play Antony, one of Rome’s triumvirs along with Octavius and Lepidus has been hanging out with Cleopatra in Alexandria and kind of neglecting his stately duties in Rome, one of which is the fact that his third wife Fulvia, after rebelling against Octavius has died.

So they call him back to Rome to come and help them fight these three notorious pirates called Sextus Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas, who are causing all sorts of shenanigans in the mediterranean sea. Cleopatra begs Antony not to go, but reassuring her of his love for her, he leaves anyway.

So the three men meet in Rome, and Octavius and Antony put aside their differences. Agrippa, one of Octavius’ Generals suggests that Antony marries Octavius’ sister, Octavia, in order to strengthen the bond between them. Antony accepts the offer, but his General Enobarbus knows better than that, and says that Antony will never be satisfied by anyone else, now that he has been with Cleopatra.

A soothsayer warns Antony that if he ever is to fight Octavius, he is for sure, going to lose.

Meanwhile back in Alexandria, Cleopatra receives news of Antony’s marriage to Octavia. And as the old saying goes “shoot the messenger”. So she takes it out on them. However she’s calmed when her courtiers inform her that she’s not as good looking as her.

Now back to Rome, or more specifically, the mediterranean sea. Before the battle with the pirates the three triumvirs parley with Sextus Pompey and offer a truce. He can keep Sicily and Sardinia in exchange for helping them to rid the sea of all the other pirates. Re hesitates but ultimately agrees to the truce. So they party down on his ship. Octavius leaves the party early and sober. Soon after Antony departs Rome for Athens. Later, Menas suggests that Sextus kill all three of the triumvirs and claim Rome for himself, but Sextus disagrees saying it would be dishonourable. Well guess how that worked out for old Sextus? That’s right he gets betrayed. Octavius and Lepidus break the truce and war against him. Antony finds out about this later and is very very not happy about it, some would say mad.

So he goes back to Alexandria and crowns himself and Cleopatra as the rulers of both Egypt and the Eastern Roman empire, you know, his part of it. He accuses Octavius of not giving him his fair share of the Sextus’ lands and is furious that Lepidus has been imprisoned and kicked out of the triumvirate. Octavius agrees to give him the land but is super mad about what Antony has done.

So Antony prepares to go to war with Octavius. Enobarbus thinks Antony should fight on land where he’ll have the advantage but Antony disagrees, saying he’ll fight Octavius at sea because he triple-dog-dared him to fight there. Cleopatra offers Antony her fleet of ships to aid in the battle and he accepts. And so it’s war time, and the battle of Actium takes place off the western coast of Greece. But Cleoptra changes her mind last minute and flees with her sixty ships. Antony flees with her leaving his soldiers, sailors and ships to ruin. He’s ashamed at what he’s done in the name of love, and reproaches Cleopatra for making him a coward, but reconciles with her, devoting himself to her and her love.

Later Octavius sends a message to Cleopatra saying she should switch sides. Cleopatra flirts with the messenger only to be interrupted by Antony who is quite cross about it. So she sends the messenger to be whipped. Eventually he forgives her and pledges to fight another battle for her, this time on land.

On the eve of the battle, the soldiers hear strange portents which they assume must be the God Hercules abandoning Antony’s army. Enobarbus gets so spooked that he decides to switch sides and go join Octavius. When Antony finds out, instead of confiscating his goods which he left behind, he sends them to him. When Enobarbus receives them he feels so ashamed about what he’s done that he dies of a broken heart.

Antony loses the battle, and his troops abandon him en masse. He denounces Cleopatra, and decides to kill her for what he believes to be treachery. Cleopatra hatches a plan to win back his love by pretending to kill herself. And so she saens word to him, and locks herself away in her monument, awaiting his return.

So that doesn’t work, it instead sends Antony into a blind grief where instead of going to see her he decides to himself too. He asks one of his soldiers, Eros, to run a sword through him and the soldier can’t bring himself to do it, so he puts a sword through himself instead. Antony admires this, and tries to do it himself, but as he has done a lot throughout the play, he fails, and only wounds himself. Learning that Cleopatra is alive, he is hoisted up to her monument where he dies in her arms.

Egypts been defeated and so Cleopatra is captured and placed under a guard of Roman soldiers. She tries to take her own life with a dagger but is stopped. Octavius assures her that she will be treated with respect but Dolabella secretly tells her that Octavius is planning to parade her around at his Roman triumph. Cleopatra is horrified and embittered by the thought of being some prize.

Cleopatra kills herself using the venomous bite of an asp, imagining how she will meet Antony again in the afterlife. Her serving maids Iras and Charmian also die, Iras from heartbreak and Charmian from one of the two asps in Cleopatra’s basket. Octavius discovers the dead bodies and experiences conflicting emotions. Antony and Cleopatra’s deaths leave him free to become the first Roman Emperor, but he also feels some sympathy for them. He orders a public military funeral.

Character List

Mark Antony – Roman general and one of the three joint leaders, or “triumvirs”, who rule the Roman Republic after the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.
Cleopatra – Queen of Egypt
Octavius Caesar – adopted son of Julius Caesar and future Emperor Augustus; another triumvir
Lepidus – another triumvir
Sextus Pompey – rebel against the triumvirate and son of the late Pompey

Marc Antony’s Party

Demetrius
Philo
Domitius Enobarbus
Ventidius
Silius – officer in Ventidius’ army
Eros
Canidius – Antony’s lieutenant-general
Scarus
Dercetus
Schoolmaster – Antony’s ambassador to Octavius
Rannius (non-speaking role)
Lucilius (non-speaking role)
Lamprius (non-speaking role)

Octavius’ Party

Octavia – Octavius’ sister
Maecenas
Agrippa – admiral of the Roman navy
Taurus – Octavius’ lieutenant general
Dolabella
Thidias
Gallus
Proculeius

Sextus’ Party

Menecrates
Menas – one of Sextus’ naval leaders
Varrius

Cleopatras Party

Charmian – maid of honour
Iras – maid of honour
Alexas
Mardian – a eunuch
Diomedes – treasurer
Seleucus – attendant

Others

Soothsayer
Clown
Boy
Sentry
Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants

Notable Monologues

Cleopatra, Act 5, Scene 2, Line 194, ‘Sir I will eat no meat, I’ll drink not sir’
Antony, Act 4, Scene 10, Line 29, ‘All is lost! This foul egyptian hath betrayed me’
Cleopatra, Act 5, Scene 2, Line 315, ‘Give me my robe, put on my crown’

Notes on Performance

Try to wrap your head around the long and winding history that has led to this play. This play is almost like a sequel to Julius Caesar so if you can read that, you’ll be well placed to perform in this play.

Remember for the majority of the play that Antony and Cleopatras actions are motivated by little else but each other, that’s sort of the core through line of this play is that their love ultimately equals their demise.

Relationships and sides! Remember who’s who, and who has double crossed whom. There’s a lot of backstabbing and undermining in this play so be sure to know who’s happy with who at any given moment! Even Antony gets upset with Cleopatra at one point and she with him!

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Synopsis

So this play takes place in Ancient Britain, during the Roman occupation. Cymbeline is the King of Britain, and about 20 years ago two of his sons were stolen from him by someone called Belarius, leaving him with one child, his daughter Imogen. Cymbeline discovers that Imogen has married her lover Posthumus in secret and banishes Posthumus, because he feels that Imgoen being his only heir, must produce an heir of her own of full royal blood. Meanwhile the Queen is conspiring to have her son from a previous marriage, Clotten, marry Imogen, and to then poison her and King Cymbeline taking the throne for herself. She goes to the court doctor to procure what she thinks is poison, but is in fact a harmless sleeping potion switched out by the doctor who is suspicious of her. She passes the potion onto Imogen and Posthumus’ servant under the guise of medicine. Imogen, heartbroken, hides herself away in her chambers, and away from Clotten aggressive advances.

So Posthumus has been banished to Italy. While there he meets Iachamo. Iachamo bets Posthumus that he can seduce Imogen and bring him back proof. If he wins he gets Posthumus wedding bracelet and if he loses he has to pay Posthumus and fight him in a duel. And so he goes to Britain where he aggressively tries to seduce Imogen who strongly shuts him down, and sends him packing. So Iachamo hides in a chest in Imogen’s chamber and waits for her to sleep. Once she’s sleeping he comes out, takes the bracelet and takes notes of the mole on Imogen’s chest as proof that he won the bet. Returning to Rome he manages to convince Posthumus that he won the bet and this sends Posthumus into a rage. He sends two letters: one to Imogen, telling her to meet him at Milford Haven on the Welsh coast, another to their servant, ordering him to kill her at Milford Haven. However, Pisanio refuses to kill Imogen and reveals to her Posthumus’s plot. He has Imogen disguise herself as a boy and continue to Milford Haven to seek employment. He also gives her the Queen’s “poison”, believing it will alleviate her psychological distress. In the guise of a boy, Imogen adopts the name “Fidele”, meaning “faithful”.

Back at the British court, Cymbeline is refusing to pay his taxes to Rome. He’s warned by ambassadors to Rome that if he doesn’t he and his kingdom will be invaded by the Roman army. Meanwhile, Cloten learns of the “meeting” between Imogen and Posthumus at Milford Haven. Dressing himself in Posthumus’s clothes, he decides to go to Wales to kill Posthumus, and then rape, abduct, and marry Imogen against her will. Imogen has been travelling through the mountains in disguise and her health has been getting poor. She decides to take refuge in a cave. Little does she know it’s home to Belarius, and the two lost princes of Britain, who are unaware of their royal blood. When they discover Imogen, they’re instantly drawn to ‘him’ and take them under their wing. Cloten arrives outside the cave and is met by Guiderius. Cloten insults him which results in a sword fight between the two leading to Clotens death and beheading. Imogen’s fragile state worsens and she takes the “poison” as a hopeful medicine; when the men re-enter, they find her “dead.” They mourn and, after placing Cloten’s body beside hers, briefly depart to prepare for the double burial. Imogen awakes to find the headless body, and believes it to be Posthumus because the body is wearing Posthumus’ clothes. Lucius’ Roman soldiers have just arrived in Britain and, as the army moves through Wales, Lucius discovers the devastated “Fidele”, who pretends to be a loyal servant grieving for his killed master; Lucius, moved by this faithfulness, enlists “Fidele” as a pageboy.

Meanwhile the Queen is deteriorating due to the loss of her son Clotus and Posthumus has enlisted himself in the Roman army as they invade Britain. Belarius, Guiderius, Arviragus, and Posthumus all help rescue Cymbeline from the Roman onslaught; the king does not yet recognise these four, yet takes notice of them as they go on to fight bravely and even capture the Roman commanders, Lucius and Iachimo, thus winning the day. Posthumus, allowing himself to be captured, as well as “Fidele”, are imprisoned alongside the true Romans, all of whom await execution. In jail, Posthumus sleeps, while the ghosts of his dead family appear to complain to Jupiter of his grim fate. Jupiter himself then appears to assure the others that destiny will grant happiness to Posthumus and Britain.

Cornelius arrives at the court and tells everyone that the Queen has died suddenly. Cymbeline goes to execute his new Roman prisoners but is stopped in his tracks when he notices ‘Fidele’. “Fidele” has noticed Posthumus’ ring on Iachimo’s finger and abruptly demands to know from where the jewel came. A remorseful Iachimo tells of his bet, and how he could not seduce Imogen, yet tricked Posthumus into thinking he had. Posthumus then comes forward to confirm Iachimo’s story, revealing his identity and acknowledging his wrongfulness in wanting to kill her. Hearing this, Imogen throws herself around Posthumus, who still thinking she is “Fidele”, knocks her down. Pisanio then rushes forward to explain that “Fidele” is Imogen in disguise; Imogen still suspects that Pisanio conspired with the Queen to give her the poison. Pisanio sincerely claims innocence, and Cornelius reveals how the poison was a non-fatal potion all along. Insisting that his betrayal years ago was a set-up, Belarius makes his own happy confession, revealing Guiderius and Arviragus as Cymbeline’s own two long-lost sons. With the Princes returned, this means Imogen and Posthumus can finally be married. Lucius calls on the soothsayer for a prophecy who see’s happy times ahead for all. Cymbeline releases the Roman prisoners and, blaming the Queen for his late payment, pays his tax to them as a gesture of good will between Britain and Rome and invites everyone to a feast.

Character List

Britain

Cymbeline – Modelled on the historical King of Britain, Cunobeline, and father to Imogen
Queen – Cymbeline’s second wife and mother to Cloten
Imogen – Cymbeline’s daughter by a former queen, later disguised as the page Fidele
Posthumus – Imogen’s husband, adopted as an orphan and raised in Cymbeline’s family
Cloten – Queen’s son by a former husband and step-brother to Imogen
Belarius – banished lord living under the name Morgan, who abducted King Cymbeline’s infant sons in retaliation for his banishment
Guiderius – Cymbeline’s son, kidnapped in childhood by Belarius and raised as his son Polydore
Arvirargus – Cymbeline’s son, kidnapped in childhood by Belarius and raised as his son Cadwal
Pisanio – Posthumus’ servant, loyal to both Posthumus and Imogen
Cornelius – court physician
Helen – lady attending Imogen
Two Lords attending Cloten
Two Gentlemen
Two Captains
Two Jailers

Rome

Philario – Posthumus’ host in Rome
Iachimo – a Roman lord and friend of Philaro
French Gentleman
Dutch Gentleman
Spanish Gentleman
Caius Lucius – Roman ambassador and later general
Two Roman senators
Roman tribunes
Roman captain
Philharmonus – soothsayer

Apparitions

Jupiter – King of the gods in Roman mythology
Sicilius Leonatus – Posthumus’ father
Posthumus’ mother
Posthumus’ two brothers

Notable Monologues

Imogen, Act 3, Scene 4, Line 70, Why I must die;
Queen, Act 3, Scene 1, Line 19, That opportunity Which then they had to take from ‘s
Imogen, Act 1, Scene 4, Line 165, Away! I do condemn mine ears that have

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This is one of Shakespeare’s best history plays and we highly recommend reading and learning more about this incredible play.

Synopsis

So the artist formerly known as Henry Bollingbroke, now more commonly referred to as King Henry the IV or “Your Majesty”, has recently usurped King Richard the II and is having a pretty not so chill time as the new King of England. Now this new King thinks that a lot of his troubles could be solved by beginning a new crusade to the Holy Land, otherwise known as a Holy War. However, there are troubles at not one, but two of England’s two total borders which renders this idea ‘not so good’ given they’d have to leave the country, leaving the Kingdom vulnerable. He is also not too popular at the moment with the Percy family who helped him to the throne and Edmund Mortimer (The Earl of March), the guy who was supposed to be King, according to the last King.

He is also at odds with his son and heir apparent, Prince Hal, who’s been making himself look rather silly by constantly getting drunk with his mates, including but not limited to Sir John Falstaff. Falstaff is Hal’s closest friend and companion. And it’s not too clear who’s the worse influence on who at this stage.

So there’s three main crews you need to wrap your head around. The King and his Court, who we’ve met. Then there is the Percy family, which includes a whole bunch of folks, but the ones we’re gonna focus on are Harry Percy or ‘Hotspur’, his Father, the ‘Earl of Northumberland’, and their leader, Hotspurs Uncle, Thomas Percy the ‘Earl of Worcester’. To make things easier lets just call that group ‘The Rebels’ And last but certainly not least, that rag tag bunch of drunks at the pub, Prince Hal, Falstaff and their merry band of friends who are really at the centre of this play.

At the beginning of the play, The King is angry with Hotspur for refusing him the prisoners taken in a recent battle against Scotland. Hotspur tries to negotiate but is shot down by the King, and as Michael Jordan would say: he took that personally. They decide to side against the King and join forces with the Welsh and the Scots.

Meanwhile, Prince Hal and chums are playing pranks on old Falstaff by disguising themselves and robbing them after they’ve robbed someone. You know, as friends do. It does end happily though when upon hearing Falstaff’s tall tales about it later, Hal returns the stolen money to him. Very soon after, Hal speaks directly to us to tell us of his plan. He says soon his days of hooliganism will come to a close and he will become a respectable member of the society and in doing so, after his years of wild misbehaviour, the respect he’ll earn will be even greater from the court and his people alike.
And that certainly happens sooner rather than later. When the Kingdom learns of Hotspurs insurrection, Hal takes charge to defeat Hotspur and his rebel army. And Falstaff isn’t off the hook either. Hal puts him in charge of a battalion of foot soldiers and away we go to the Battle of Shrewsbury.

Now this battle is pretty important, because if Hotspur wins, then their cause is bolstered and they will gain ground and may ultimately win this war. Lucky for Hal his troops outnumber Hotspurs. But what Hotspur lacks in numbers, he makes up for in a whole lot of ‘having nothing to lose’.

Meanwhile in the lead up to this face, we see Hotspur, who has not been a particularly honourable commanding officer, by stealing wages and other tomfoolery, fake his own death, in a last ditch bid to survive.

Anyway, meanwhile back at wherever Hal and Hotspur happen to be, they face off. They both fight well but ultimately Hotspur is bettered by Hal, and is killed.

Suddenly Falstaff revives himself from the dead! Seeing that he is alone, he stabs Hotspur in the leg and claims the credit for defeating him. Hal knows better than that but allows Falstaff to take the credit, as good friends do. Having done this Falstaff claims that he wants to get his act together and to live a good clean life as a nobleman should do.

And so the play comes to a close with the rebels stifled but ultimately not defeated. King Henry has his rival Thomas Percy executed. But Hal, being more honourable than people ever knew, releases his prisoners of war. They have won the battle, but not the war, and the next exciting chapter begins in Henry IV Part 2.

Characters of Henry IV Part 1

The King’s Party

King Henry IV – King of England.
Henry, Prince of Wales (nicknamed “Prince Hal” or “Harry”) – eldest son of Henry IV
John of Lancaster – represented in the play as the King’s second son, although he was actually the third
Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmorland
Sir Walter Blount (“Blunt”)

Eastcheap (The Pub Crew)

Sir John Falstaff – a knight who befriends Prince Hal
Ned Poins
Bardolph
Peto
Mistress Quickly – hostess of the Boar’s Head Tavern
Francis – tapster
Vintner – tavern keeper
Gadshill
Two Carriers (Mugs and Tom)
Ostler

The Rebels

Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester – Northumberland’s brother
Harry Percy (nicknamed “Hotspur”) – Northumberland’s son
Edmund Mortimer – Hotspur’s brother-in-law and Glendower’s son-in-law
Owen Glendower – leader of the Welsh rebels
Archibald, Earl of Douglas – leader of the Scottish rebels
Sir Richard Vernon, 8th Baron of Shipbrook
Richard le Scrope (“Scroop”), Archbishop of York
Sir Michael – a friend to the Archbishop of York
Lady Percy (“Kate”, though her real name was Elizabeth) – Hotspur’s wife and Mortimer’s sister
Lady Mortimer (Catrin) – Glendower’s daughter and Mortimer’s wife

Other Characters

Chamberlain
Sheriff
Travellers
Servant to Hotspur
Lords, Officers, Drawers, Messengers, and Attendants

Only Mentioned

Robin Ostler, deceased character who preceded the current Ostler, concerned with the price of oats
Gilliams, courier sent by Hotspur

Best Henry IV Part 1 Monologues

• Prince Hal, Act 1, Scene 2, Line 64, “I know you all, and will a while uphold the unyolked humour of your idleness”
• Falstaff Act 2, Scene 4, Line 162, “Peace, good pint-pot, peace, good tickle-brain”
• Lady Hotspur, Act 2, Scene 3, Line 35, “O my good lord, why are you thus alone?”
• Hotspur, Act 1, Scene 3, Line 28, “My liege I did deny no prisoners”

Notes on Performance

Keep in mind the long history that has led up to the start of this play, luckily in this one there’s only one prequel in Richard II. If you can read that you won’t be sorry.

Do your best to understand all the ins and out, ups and downs of all of these relationships. There’s a lot to remember, but be rock solid in the relationships of your character.

Always respect the text, not just in Shakespeare but in any work you do. The writer puts in as much energy and love as any other creative, so we should always do our best to make their text shine. Even Shakespeare. If you are excited to learn more about Shakespeare improve your skills in this area definitely check out  performing Shakespeare.

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