Jerome Ayad
“How has the context of Henry IV, shaped your appreciation of the play and its
concerns”
Henry IV part I is one of Shakespeare’s more popular plays for a plethora of reasons.
One being Shakespeare’s ability to draw on elements of English society making the play
very relatable to its audience. This ability to seamlessly blend in the context of the time
adds more meaning to the play as a whole. Through this Shakespeare was able to
address the concerns of his day and display them directly to his audience. Notably
Shakespeare is able to a pinpoint national fears such as the fear of rebellion and
invasion as well as the fear of uncertainty when a new monarch comes into power.
Furthermore, aspects such as the organisation of the rebel’s and the great chain of
being were explored by Shakespeare to both compliment and legitimise Queen
Elizabeth for obvious reasons. The context of King Henry IV part I has shaped my
appreciation of the play through the intricacy of certain elements and how Shakespeare
uses these elements to make his play, about past events, relate directly to his audience
to deliver subtle but clear messages about the state of English society. Also, some of
these messages still have the ability to relate to current audiences over four hundred
years after is was written.
In England during the 1600’s there was religious tensions and a constant
weariness of invasion due the change of the national religion from Catholicism to
Protestantism. Shakespeare incorporates this aspect of English society into the his play,
Henry IV part I, through the main conflict in the play, by having this fear of invasion
come to life in the form of a rebellion. Furthermore, there was tension between
Catholics and Protestants within England which caused further turmoil. Shakespeare
uses this fear as the overarching story line of Henry IV part I, through the rebellion
against King Henry. The very first lines of the play are of King Henry telling how
England is in turmoil. King Henry says; “So shaken we are, so wan with care,//Find we a
time for frighted peace to pant,//and breathe short-winded accents of new broils//To
be commenced in strands far remote;” Shakespeare uses vivid imagery to describe
England torn by civil war, he explains that just when he thought tensions in England
were calming down, something happens. This point is further expressed through the
phrase “frighted peace to pant” which has the effect of bringing images of peace to the
viewers mind then personifying it to be panting as if it has run away. By doing this
shakespeare has been able to set up one of the conflicts. Furthermore, the choice of the
conflict directly relates to the context as there was a fear of invasion and rebellion
constantly looming over England in 1600, when the play was performed. This idea of
conflict and the fear of invasion relates to a contemporary audience given the recent
rise of terror organization which aim...
