History TearJerker / TheHollowCrown

** The people surrounding Richard's dead body (all having a part in his dethronement and death) pretty much breaking down from the entire events of the play: Aumerle ([[AdaptationalVillainy here granted the role of Exton's regicide]]) finally having a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment after killing his cousin (who loved him even in their direst straits), the Duke of York his father (who has been feeling guilty after betraying his trust and capitulating to Bolingbroke)... and finally Bolingbroke himself, whose anguish and regrets Rory Kinnear perfectly delivers:

** Bardolph lifelessly hanging after his execution (condemned for robbing a church and getting hanged for it). When Henry saw Bardolph hanging from a tree, all while Fluellen dismissively recounts his crime and punishment, Henry internally remembers all the fun times he had with Bardolph (and by extension, Falstaff). [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask Then he has to declare publicly that Bardolph deserved to die]], within the earshot of the mourning and enraged Ancient Pistol. [[{{Leitmotif}} All while that solemn dirge plays again as the English army, wounded and weary, slowly trudges through the mud]].

* The death of Richard, Duke of York in ''Theatre/HenryVIPartIII'', forced to kneel and undergo a mock crowning whilst being smeared with the blood of his dead son.

-->''They love not poison that do poison need,''\\

''[[LonelyAtTheTop That blood should sprinkle me to make me grow.]]''
--->-- Act 5, Scene 6, 38-40, 45-46.

''[[LonelyAtTheTop That blood should sprinkle me to make me grow.]]''\\
-->-- Act 5, Scene 6, 38-40, 45-46.

--> ''They love not poison that do poison need,''\\
''Nor do I thee. [[{{Hypocrite}} Though I did wish him dead,]]''
--> ''[[{{Hypocrite}} I hate the murderer]]... [[HeroicBSOD love him murderèd]].''
--> ...
--> ''[[WasItReallyWorthIt Lords, I protest my soul is full of woe]]''
--> ''[[LonelyAtTheTop That blood should sprinkle me to make me grow.]]''
--> - Act 5, Scene 6, 38-40, 45-46.

** It is at this point that you realize that this adaptation of Henry/Prince Hal, compared to other adaptations, did genuinely love Falstaff and the common people, but is bound by his destiny as a Plantagenet king to demand hardships of them to protect his kingdom.

* ''Theatre/RichardII'' is [[BookEnds book-ended]] via [[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StDavidsCathedral_Nave.JPG the shot of the crucifix at St. David's Cathedral, in the nave]] which stands in for Westminster Hall, the royal court. The story begins with the camera panning from the crucifix down to Richard, enthroned in all his smug pomp and majesty. The film ends with [[PietaPlagiarism Richard's corpse, wounded and naked save for a white loincloth whilst cradled by]] [[CradlingYourKill Bolingbroke]] / HenryTheFourth, then panning back to the crucifix, [[TheGodsMustBeLazy as if detachedly watching everything]]. HowTheMightyHaveFallen perfectly shot in film.

--> ''They love not poison that do poison need,''
--> ''Nor do I thee. [[{{Hypocrite}} Though I did wish him dead,]]''

* ''RichardII'' is [[BookEnds book-ended]] via [[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StDavidsCathedral_Nave.JPG the shot of the crucifix at St. David's Cathedral, in the nave]] which stands in for Westminster Hall, the royal court. The story begins with the camera panning from the crucifix down to Richard, enthroned in all his smug pomp and majesty. The film ends with [[PietaPlagiarism Richard's corpse, wounded and naked save for a white loincloth whilst cradled by]] [[CradlingYourKill Bolingbroke]] / HenryTheFourth, then panning back to the crucifix, [[TheGodsMustBeLazy as if detachedly watching everything]]. HowTheMightyHaveFallen perfectly shot in film.

* ''HenryIVPart2'' was bound to be a DownerEnding from Henry V's WhamLine "I know thee not, old man" to Falstaff. The adaptation compounds it more with all of Falstaff's friends being seized by the authorities, and the last scene being of Falstaff, bound by guards, staring into the distance, pretty much seeing his friendship dissolve to nothingness.
* ''HenryV'', then as now, ends on a bittersweet note (with Henry victorious yet dying to leave his young son Henry VI to unfortunately mismanage the realm and lose France). The Chorus (portrayed by Creator/JohnHurt) is revealed to be the same young page Falstaff had who joined Ancient Pistol, Nym and Bardolph in Harfleur and Agincourt, managed to survive to old age ([[DeathByAdaptation in contrast to other adaptations]]). The classic final line "[F]or their sake, In your fair minds let this acceptance take" is thus delivered by Hurt less in its original context ("Shakespeare wrote about this in the Henry VI plays already, so see them") and pretty much more like a weathered man who saw these events and says "We have seen their stories, their lives, their glories, and how pitifully short all that was. Let us accept how things turned out, and live for the better." [[BookEnds The solemn dirge which opens and ends this film]] [[MeaningfulFuneral (both in the context of Henry V's funeral)]] playing in the background does not help matters.

As part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, TheBBC went all-out in their production of Shakespeare's Major Tetralogy, and managed to magnify some scenes which were already subject to tragedy in the original stagings.

* ''HenryV'', then as now, ends on a bittersweet note (with Henry victorious yet dying to leave his young son Henry VI to unfortunately mismanage the realm and lose France). The Chorus (portrayed by JohnHurt) is revealed to be the same young page Falstaff had who joined Ancient Pistol, Nym and Bardolph in Harfleur and Agincourt, managed to survive to old age ([[DeathByAdaptation in contrast to other adaptations]]). The classic final line "[F]or their sake, In your fair minds let this acceptance take" is thus delivered by Hurt less in its original context ("Shakespeare wrote about this in the Henry VI plays already, so see them") and pretty much more like a weathered man who saw these events and says "We have seen their stories, their lives, their glories, and how pitifully short all that was. Let us accept how things turned out, and live for the better." [[BookEnds The solemn dirge which opens and ends this film]] [[MeaningfulFuneral (both in the context of Henry V's funeral)]] playing in the background does not help matters.

* ''RichardII'' is [[BookEnds book-ended]] via [[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StDavidsCathedral_Nave.JPG the shot of the crucifix at St. David's Cathedral, in the nave]] which stands in for the royal court of the English monarch. The story begins with the camera panning from the crucifix down to Richard, enthroned in all his smug pomp and majesty. The film ends with [[PietaPlagiarism Richard's corpse, wounded and naked save for a white loincloth whilst cradled by]] [[CradlingYourKill Bolingbroke]] / HenryTheFourth, then panning back to the crucifix, [[TheGodsMustBeLazy as if detachedly watching everything]]. HowTheMightyHaveFallen perfectly shot in film.

* ''RichardII'' is [[BookEnds book-ended]] via [[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StDavidsCathedral_Nave.JPG the shot of the crucifix at St. David's Cathedral, in the nave]] which stands in for the royal court of the English monarch. The story begins with the camera panning from the crucifix down to Richard, enthroned in all his smug pomp and majesty. The film ends with [[PietaPlagiarism Richard's corpse, wounded and naked save for a white loincloth whilst cradled by]] [[CradlingYourKill Bolingbroke]] / HenryTheFourth, then panning back to the crucifix, as if placidly watching everything. HowTheMightyHaveFallen perfectly shot in film.

* ''RichardII'' is [[BookEnds book-ended]] via [[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StDavidsCathedral_Nave.JPG the shot of the crucifix at St. David's Cathedral, in the nave]] which stands in for the royal court of the English monarch. The story begins with the camera panning from the crucifix down to Richard, enthroned in all his smug pomp and majesty. The film ends with [[PietaPlagiarism Richard's corpse, wounded and naked save for a white loincloth whilst cradled by]] [[CradlingYourKill Bolingbroke]] / HenryTheFourth. HowTheMightyHaveFallen perfectly shot in film.

** Bardolph's DeathByAdaptation (after giving him Corporal Nym's role of robbing a church and getting hanged for it). When Henry saw Bardolph hanging from a tree, all while Fluellen dismissively recounts his crime and punishment, Henry internally remembers all the fun times he had with Bardolph (and by extension, Falstaff). [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask Then he has to declare publicly that Bardolph deserved to die]], within the earshot of the mourning and enraged Ancient Pistol. [[{{Leitmotif}} All while that solemn dirge plays again as the English army, wounded and weary, slowly trudges through the mud]].

* ''HenryV'', then as now, ends on a bittersweet note (with Henry victorious yet dying to leave his young son Henry VI to unfortunately mismanage the realm and lose France). The Chorus (portrayed by JohnHurt) is revealed to be the same young page Falstaff had who joined Ancient Pistol, Nym and Bardolph in Harfleur and Agincourt, managed to survive to old age ([[DeathByAdaptation in contrast to other adaptations]]). The classic final line "[F]or their sake, In your fair minds let this acceptance take" is thus delivered by Hurt less in its original context ("Shakespeare wrote about this in the Henry VI plays already, so see them") and pretty much more like a weathered man who saw these events and says "We have seen their stories, their lives, their glories, and how pitifully short all that was. Let us accept how things turned out, and live for the better." The solemn dirge which opens and ends this film (both in the context of Henry V's funeral) playing in the background does not help matters.
** Bardolph's DeathByAdaptation (after giving him Corporal Nym's role of robbing a church and getting hanged for it). When Henry saw Bardolph hanging from a tree, all while Fluellen dismissively recounts his crime and punishment, Henry internally remembers all the fun times he had with Bardolph (and by extension, Falstaff). [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask Then he has to declare publicly that Bardolph deserved to die]], within the earshot of the mourning and enraged Ancient Pistol.[[{{Leitmotif}} All while that solemn dirge plays again as the English army, wounded and weary, slowly trudges through the mud]].

* ''RichardII'' is [[BookEnds book-ended]] via [[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StDavidsCathedral_Nave.JPG the shot of the crucifix at St. David's Cathedral, in the nave]] which stands in for the royal court of the English monarch. The story begins with the camera panning from the crucifix down to Richard, enthroned in all his smug pomp and majesty. The film ends with [[PietaPlagiarism Richard's corpse, wounded and naked save for a white loincloth whilst cradled by]] Bolingbroke / HenryTheFourth. HowTheMightyHaveFallen perfectly shot in film.

** The people surrounding Richard's dead body (all having a part in his dethronement and death) pretty much breaking down from the entire events of the play: Aumerle ([[AdaptationalVillainy here granted the role of Exton's regicide]]) finally having a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment after killing his cousin (who loved him even in their direst straits), the Duke of York his father (who has been feeling guilty after betraying his trust and capitulating to Bolingbroke)... and finally Bolingbroke himself, whose anguish and regrets RoryKinnear perfectly delivers:

** Bardolph's DeathByAdaptation (after giving him Corporal Nym's role of robbing a church and getting hanged for it). When Henry saw Bardolph hanging from a tree, all while Fluellen dismissively recounts his crime and punishment, Henry internally remembers all the fun times he had with Bardolph (and by extension, Falstaff). [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask Then he has to declare publicly that Bardolph deserved to die]], within the earshot of the mourning and enraged Ancient Pistol. It is by then you realize that this adaptation of Henry/Prince Hal, compared to other adaptations, did genuinely love Falstaff and the common people, but is bound by his destiny as a Plantagenet king to demand hardships of them to protect his kingdom.

--> - Act 5, Scene 6, 38-40, 45-46.

--> ''[[WasItAllWorthIt Lords, I protest my soul is full of woe]]''