Henry IV Part 1 Translation

Before we get started on Henry IV Part 1, let's have a little recap of what went down in the preceding play, Richard II. Remember Henry IV Part 1 is the second installment of Shakespeare's tet...

The year is 1402. King Henry delivers a lengthy speech to his council at his palace in London. He says he's totally spent from all the civil warfare the country has endured. But, he's looking forwa...

At the prince's bachelor pad in London, Falstaff asks Hal what time of day it is. Hal tells his boy that it shouldn't matter to Falstaff, who spends all his time boozing, eating, and visiting broth...

King Henry meets with the Percy family (Hotspur, Northumberland, and Worcester) and tells them he's been acting too soft lately because the Percys are totally out of control. From here on out, thou...

At dawn in the yard of a roadside inn (the Super 8 motel of Elizabethan England) near Gads Hill, two Carriers (like UPS drivers) pack up their horses and gear in preparation for a little road trip,...

Hal, Falstaff, Poins, Peto, and Bardolph gather on a roadside at Gads Hill in anticipation of the robbery they've planned. Because Poins has hidden Falstaff's horse, Falstaff complains he's too fat...

Meanwhile, at Warkworth Castle in Northumberland, Hotspur reads a letter from someone who refuses to take part in the rebellion because it's too dangerous and the parties involved are untrustworthy...

At a tavern in Eastcheap, Prince Hal brags to Poins that he's buddy-buddy with a bunch of drawers (like waiters) – they're on a first-name basis and say they can't wait for him to be king. Hal ca...

Glendower hosts Mortimer, Hotspur, and Worcester at his castle in Wales, where the rebels gather to strategize. Before we know it, Hotspur and Glendower start talking smack. Trash talk, as we know,...

At the castle in London, King Henry tells his people to scram so he call yell at his son in private. According to the king, Prince Hal was sent to earth by God to punish him for his past sins. (Hmm...

At the tavern in Eastcheap, Falstaff and Bardolph screw around in their usual way. Falstaff mockingly recounts his activities for the past week – he gambled no more than seven times, went to a br...

At the rebel camp, Hotspur and Douglas tell each other how great they are. "You're so brave, Douglas." "No, Hotspur, you're more brave," and so on.

In Coventry, on the road to Shrewsbury, Falstaff and his foot soldiers take a breather and Falstaff sends Bardolph to town for a bottle of sack (wine).

At the rebel camp, Hotspur says he wants to fight the king's forces that evening, but Vernon and Worcester try to talk him out of it – they don't have all their troops together yet and the king's...

Somewhere in England, York gives Sir Michael a letter to take to the Lord Marshall, Thomas Mowbray (an important leader of the rebels in Henry IV Part 2).

The next morning, the king's forces prepare for the day's battle.

Worcester and Vernon agree not to tell Hotspur about the king's peace offer. They're afraid that if they take him up on it, Hotspur will be forgiven (because he's young and hot-blooded) but the oth...

Cut to the battle scene. Walter Blunt, who is disguised as the king, encounters Douglas. They talk trash and then Douglas kills Blunt.

The next time we see Prince Hal, he's bleeding from battle wounds. His dad tells him to take a break. Hal refuses.

The king's forces are victorious. Henry chides Worcester and Vernon (who have been captured) for being so smarmy and trying to rise up against him.