From the introduction to the Austi Classics edition

Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1 presents on-stage the rebellion against King Henry IV and the maturing of Henry IV’s son Prince Hal, i.e. Henry V. Henry IV Part 1 also describes residual circumstances resulting from events in Shakespeare’s history play Richard II which precedes Henry IV Part 1, and foreshadows future events in Shakespeare’s history plays Henry IV Part 2 and Henry V.

Henry IV came to power by overthrowing Richard II with the promise to the English barons of returning them to their former glory which they had lost under Richard II. Due to the instability of Henry IV’s reign, having gained the crown through rebellion, Henry IV was not able to deliver on his promise of leading England and its barons to glory and wealth through warfare. Henry IV’s son, Henry V, who comes of age in Henry IV Part 1 ultimately delivered on his father’s promise with the invasion of France. The English invasion of France is the subject of Shakespeare’s play Henry V.

We briefly explain some relevant political context of the reigns of Richard II (1377-99), Henry IV (1399-1413) and Henry V (1413-1422) to explain how these monarchs affected the lives of the English people. At that time, much of the population of England lived on the lands owned by a baron or lord, who was master of the peasants on their respective lands, and were required to give a proportion of their agricultural produce to their master. In return, some measure of military protection was provided. However, the peasants were required to fight in their master’s army in whatever cause their master chose. Moreover, when the barons fought amongst one another, commonly the first target was the villages in the baron’s purview, and so the system ensured the common people were the targets of the private armies of the barons. When a baron was the target of incursions by a rival, the villages on the baron’s lands were burnt, and the inhabitants slaughtered.

Richard II believed the king had the responsibility and authority, independently of the barons, to uplift the condition of his people. Under Richard II, the arts, literature, science and architecture flourished as far as possible. Richard II was an aberration in the line of kings of his era for, since William the Conqueror deposed Edward the Confessor, the barons had ruled England in partnership with the king for their own aggrandisement, in effect waging perpetual warfare amongst each other much like mafia factions and also against foreign nations. On the other hand, Richard II had sought to return England to the nation-building policies of Edward the Confessor. The barons disputed Richard II’s right to determine national policy, and were not pleased with Richard II’s tempering the severity of the barons’ rule.

Such a baron was a cousin of King Richard II, Henry Bolingbroke – also known as Henry of Derby – who was exiled and dispossessed on charges of plotting against Richard II. Bolingbroke took his private army to Jerusalem to participate in the Crusades, which were run by the Venetian financial empire to plunder and destroy the burgeoning scientific and advanced cultural Islamic civilisation. Henry Bolingbroke, as a participant in the Crusades, had the ear and support of the Doge of Venice, Antonio Venier.

Henry managed to secure the support of a number of disaffected and wealthy families to usurp the crown from Richard II and imprison Richard II. In order to lend legitimacy to the kingship of Henry IV, Henry IV managed to extract statements from Richard II that Richard II had voluntarily given up the throne.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Henry IV Part 1.

Available at Amazon

Dan Abramson
Sydney Australia
July 2016 updated April 2022