William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part Two

Hugh Grady (Arcadia University, (formerly Beaver College))
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William Shakespeare’s

King Henry IV, Part 2

(or

2 Henry IV

) is the closely related sequel to his critically acclaimed and highly popular

1 Henry IV

(1596). Composition of the play was apparently begun in 1597, and it was first performed in 1598, thus coming shortly after

1 Henry IV

’s first 1596 performances (some scholars think that the comedy

The Merry Wives of Windsor

, which features Sir John Falstaff and other characters from

2 Henry IV

, came in between).

2 Henry IV

shares many of the same characters as

1 Henry IV

, skillfully re-produces the earlier play’s complex dramatic structure, and completes the story of King Henry IV (begun in the first of four inter-connected history plays in the 1595

Richard II

) with his death and the successful succession of his son Prince Hal, who is…

2754 words

Citation: Grady, Hugh. "Henry IV, Part Two". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 January 2005; last revised 21 November 2019. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4802, accessed 19 March 2024.]

4802 Henry IV, Part Two 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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