King Henry IV, Part 1

by William Shakespeare

"King Henry IV, Part 1" by William Shakespeare is a history play believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatizes King Henry IV's troubled reign as rebellion brews among powerful nobles. Meanwhile, his son Prince Hal carouses in taverns with the roguish Sir John Falstaff, seemingly squandering his royal future. As political tensions escalate toward the Battle of Shrewsbury, Hal must choose between his disreputable companions and his duty to the crown, while the fiery rebel Hotspur threatens to topple the kingdom itself.