History Theatre / HenryIVPart1

** Owain Glyndwr was a Christian who was cheated out of his lands and declared a traitor by a friend of King Henry causing him to take up arms and declare independence. Owen Glendower believes that he is a Warlock. That said, the real Glyndwr often invoked Merlinic prophecy and mystical imagery, as seen in [[BalkanizeMe Tripartite Indenture]], which carved up England and Wales. Whether he actually believe his own hype is another matter entirely.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Initially, Falstaff was "Sir John Oldcastle", an actual historical figure who was burned at the stake for [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lollardy Lollardy]], but Oldcastle's descendants complained, so Shakespeare substituted in the name of a knight who lived two generations after the play took place and was accused of cowardice (this character appears briefly in ''1 Henry VI'', where his name is usually rendered as "Fastolfe" by modern editors). A few remnants of the original name survive in the play--e.g., at one point Hal calls Falstaff "my old lad of the castle".
* [[ObfuscatingStupidity Obfuscating Debauchery]]- Prince Hal pretends to be a party animal, so that when he "reforms" [[BatmanGambit people will think even more highly of him]].
* OneSteveLimit: Averted (unsurprisingly, given that it's based on RealLife.)

-->'''Glendower''': I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
-->'''Hotspur''': Why, so can I, or so can any man.
---> But will they come when you do call for them?

* BelligerentSexualTension - Hotspur and Lady Percy.

* BlatantLies: Falstaff claims he killed Percy to Prince Hal, the man who he saw actually kill him

-->'''Henry IV''': Heavy is the head that wears the Crown.

* ComesGreatResponsibility: The gist of King Henry's criticism of Hal -- the Prince has been born with great privilege and stands to inherit a kingdom; he should behave in such a way to show himself worthy of it. This actually puts Henry in direct contrast to his predecessor, RichardII, in that he does not count on divine right to guarantee the support of his people. If the king acts like a fool, he will be treated like a fool.

--> '''Glendower:''' Thrice from the banks of Wye and sandy-bottomed Severn have I sent him bootless home and weather-beaten back.
--> '''Hotspur:''' Home without boots, and in foul weather too! How scapes he agues, in the devil's name?

-->'''Hotspur:''' No, Percy, thou art dust
-->And food for--
-->'''Hal:''' For worms, brave Percy.

A perenially popular play, this has been adapted to film many times. Creator/OrsonWelles' experimental ''Film/ChimesAtMidnight'' combines the two parts with bits from ''Theatre/HenryV'' and ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor'', without changing any lines, the action now centering on Falstaff instead of Prince Hal. In 2010, a production of ''Henry IV'' at The Globe was filmed for DVD with Creator/RogerAllam as Falstaff and Jamie Parker as Hal. Allam won an Olivier Award for his performance. In 2012, it was the second production in the BBC's four-part series ''Series/TheHollowCrown'', with Creator/JeremyIrons as Henry, Creator/TomHiddleston as Hal, Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff, and Joe Armstrong as Hotspur.

As King Henry and the Percy family wage a tense political battle, Hal and Falstaff get themselves into a number of comic situations. It is during one of these that Hal reveals his plot to the audience-- he is playing the part of the foolish prince so that people will not expect much of him; that way, when he finally reveals himself as the great thinker and fighter he is, he will look much better by comparison.

->And like bright metal on a sullen ground,
->My reformation, glittering o'er my fault,
->Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes
->Than that which hath no foil to set it off.
->--'''Hal''', I.ii

* MilesGloriosus: Falstaff.

* SmugSnake: Falstaff.

* WarriorPrince: Hal at the end.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Sir Edmund Mortimer has two scenes and then never shows up again, despite being the prospective king, should Glendower and Percy manage to kill the Lancasters. In real life, Mortimer died between the events of ''Part 1'' and ''Part 2''.

* LeeroyJenkins: Hotspur. Douglas, too, who is almost as HotBlooded as him.

* MildlyRoyal: Prince Hal acts in this manner, to the point everyone treats him like their best bud. Subverted in the fact Hal intends to shed this attitude like a snake shedding its skin upon his ascension.

* BoisterousBruiser: Falstaff is one in temperament but not big on the whole fighting thing. Hotspur has some of these traits, and the historical Hotspur at least was very much like the insane Richard IV in ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' - played by BrianBlessed.

->[[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass My reformation, glittering o'er my fault,]]
->Shall [[InvokedTrope show more goodly]] and attract more eyes

In 2010, a production of ''Henry IV'' at The Globe was filmed for DVD with Creator/RogerAllam as Falstaff and Jamie Parker as Hal. Allam won an Olivier Award for his performance. In 2012, it was the second production in the BBC's four-part series ''Series/TheHollowCrown'', with Creator/JeremyIrons as Henry, Creator/TomHiddleston as Hal, Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff, and Joe Armstrong as Hotspur.

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Glendower spends the strategy meeting promising to use magic and demons to drive out the English forces.

** Owain Glyndwr was a Catholic who was cheated out of his lands and declared a traitor by a friend of King Henry causing him to take up arms and declare independence. Owen Glendower believes that he is a Warlock.

** Falstaff is his complete opposite.
-->'Tis not due yet: I would be loth to pay him before his day. What need I be so forward with him that calls not on me? Well, 'tis no matter; Honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if Honour prick me off when I come on? how then? Can Honour set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is Honour? a word. What is that word, Honour? Air. A trim reckoning! — Who hath it? He that died o' Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. Is it sensible then? Yes, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it: therefore I'll none of it. Honour is a mere 'scutcheon, and so ends my catechism.

->[[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass My reformation, glittering o’er my fault,]]

A history play by Creator/WilliamShakespeare. It is the first in a duology, the second being ''HenryIVPart2''. It actually also relates to two other Shakespearean plays-- ''Theatre/RichardII'' (which it follows) and ''HenryV'' (which it precedes).

The play winds down with another comic scene with Falstaff (who tries to convince Hal he killed Hotspur), King Henry orders his enemies executed, and Hal generously pardons one of the soldiers from the opposing side. But wait! All is not well. The Archbishop of York and the Earl of Northumberland, along with a number of other nobles, have joined forces and still plot against Henry IV and Hal. ToBeContinued in HenryIVPart2.

In 2010, a production of ''Henry IV'' at The Globe was filmed for DVD with Creator/RogerAllam as Falstaff and Jamie Parker as Hal. Allam won an Olivier Award for his performance. In 2012, it was the second production in the BBC's four-part series ''Series/TheHollowCrown'', with Creator/JeremyIrons as Henry, Creator/TomHiddleston as Hal, Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff and Joe Armstrong as Hotspur.

* BodyDouble: in the battle at the end of ''Part 1'', the king has several. Symbolism ensues.
* BoisterousBruiser: Falstaff is one in temperament but not big on the whole fighting thing. Hotspur has some of these traits, and the historical Hotspur at least was very much like the insane Richard IV in {{Blackadder}}- played by BrianBlessed.

* BreakoutCharacter: Falstaff
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Glendower believes he can summon demons, perform magic, and that heaven and earth shook on his arrival. He's also single-handedly pushing the English out of Wales.
** Hotspur too. He's quick to anger and rants so hard that often his allies have to interrupt him. At one point, his hot-blooded ranting even stops him from entering the action he loves because he's too busy fighting a battle in his imagination. But, of course, he's best warrior among the English.

* CloudCuckoolander: Glendower spends the strategy meeting promising to use magic and demons to drive out the English forces.

** The confrontation between Hal and Hotspur never happened. However, in a case of RealLife exceeding fiction in awesomeness, Hal survived taking '''''an arrow to the face''''' during the Battle of Shrewsbury.
** Owain Glyndwr was a Catholic who was cheated out of his lands and declared a traitor by a friend of King Henry causing him to take up arms and declare independance. Owen Glendower believes that he is a Warlock.

** Falstaff is [[OriginalCharacter a complete fabrication]] (see below).

* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: Hal's [[spoiler: eulogy to Hotspur]] says as much.
--> [[spoiler: ''For worms, brave Percy: fare thee well, great heart!\\

Bears not alive so stout a gentleman.'']]

* LargeHam - It's nearly contractually required to play Falstaff this way. Hotspur is an immensely hammy character as well.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Initially, Falstaff was "Sir John Oldcastle", an actual historical figure who was burned at the stake for [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lollardy Lollardy]], but Oldcastle's descendants complained, so Shakespeare substituted in the name of a knight who lived two generations after the play took place and was accused of cowardice (this character appears briefly in ''1 HenryVI,'' where his name is usually rendered as "Fastolfe" by modern editors). A few remnants of the original name survive in the play--e.g., at one point Hal calls Falstaff "my old lad of the castle".

* SmugSnake: Falstaff

* LargeHam - It's nearly contractually required to play Falstaff this way.

In 2010, a production of ''Henry IV'' at The Globe was filmed for DVD with RogerAllam as Falstaff and Jamie Parker as Hal. Allam won an Olivier Award for his performance. In 2012, it was the second production in the BBC's four-part series ''Series/TheHollowCrown'', with Creator/JeremyIrons as Henry, Creator/TomHiddleston as Hal, Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff and Joe Armstrong as Hotspur.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Glendower believes he can summon demons, perform magic and heaven and earth shook on his arrival, he's also single handedly pushing the English out of Wales.

* LeeroyJenkins: Hotspur.

* BraveScot: Douglas, whose valor impresses Hal so much that he's one of the few rebels to be ransomed instead of just killed.