Introduction to the play
Henry IV, Part 2 is the only Shakespeare play that is a “sequel,” in the modern sense, to an earlier play of his. Like most sequels, it repeats many elements from the previous work, Henry IV, Part 1. This play again puts on stage Henry IV’s son, Prince Hal, who continues to conceal his potential greatness by consorting with tavern dwellers, including the witty Sir John Falstaff.
As in Part 1, Prince Hal and Falstaff seek to best each other in conversation, while Falstaff tries to ingratiate himself with Hal and Hal disdains him. Part 2 adds some fresh characters, the rural justices Shallow and Silence and Shallow’s household. Political rebellion, while important to the plot, does not loom as large as in Part 1. There are no glorious champions; combat is replaced by deception, cunning, and treachery.
The Folger Shakespeare
Our bestselling editions of Shakespeare's plays and poems
… He hath eaten me out of house and home.
—Hostess
Act 2, scene 1, line 76
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.
—King
Act 3, scene 1, line 31
Henry IV, Part 2 in our collection
A selection of Folger collection items related to Henry IV, Part 2. Find more in our digital image collection
Essays and resources from The Folger Shakespeare
Henry IV, Part 2
Learn more about the play, its language, and its history from the experts behind our edition.
About Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2
An introduction to the plot, themes, and characters in the play
Reading Shakespeare’s Language
A guide for understanding Shakespeare’s words, sentences, and wordplay
An Introduction to This Text
A description of the publishing history of the play and our editors’ approach to this edition
Textual Notes
A record of the variants in the early printings of this text
Textual Problems in Henry IV, Part 2
Historical Background: Sir John Falstaff and Sir John Oldcastle
A Modern Perspective
An essay by A. R. Braunmuller
Further Reading
Suggestions from our experts on where to learn more
Shakespeare and his world
Learn more about Shakespeare, his theater, and his plays from the experts behind our editions.
Shakespeare’s Life
An essay about Shakespeare and the time in which he lived
Shakespeare’s Theater
An essay about what theaters were like during Shakespeare’s career
The Publication of Shakespeare’s Plays
An essay about how Shakespeare’s plays were published
Related blog posts and podcasts
The King, Prince Hal, and Falstaff: Shakespeare’s father-son triangle onstage and onscreen
Timothée Chalamet (Hal) in The King, 2019. IMDB One of Shakespeare’s most moving love triangles isn’t romantic, it’s filial. The tension between Prince Hal and his two father figures — King Henry IV and Sir John Falstaff — fuels both…
Fat rogue, pampered glutton: Two Falstaffian context clues
Early versions of Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1 show its immense popularity and point to Falstaff’s origins as the real-life figure Sir John Oldcastle.
Chimes at Midnight: Orson Welles is Falstaff
Chimes at Midnight, the 1966 film directed by and starring Orson Welles, constructs a rich, complex, and moving portrait of the larger-than-life Sir John Falstaff, who appears in three of Shakespeare’s plays and is among the best-known characters in all…
Mistress Quickly: From Hostess in 'Henry IV Part 1' to Fairy Queen in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'
The Hostess seems to have been a favorite character from the beginning, ruling the tavern where Prince Hal hangs out with Falstaff. Evidently aware of her popularity with audiences, Shakespeare developed her character further in later plays, where she evolves…
Orson Welles and Shakespeare
Shakespeare Unlimited: Episode 89 There was a time when Orson Welles was one of America’s biggest celebrities. In 1938, he made national headlines when the radio show he produced did a version of The War of the Worlds that was…
A Falstaff feast
Find Falstaff at Nebraska Shakespeare, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Shakespeare Dallas.
Teaching Henry IV, Part 2
Use the Folger Method to teach any of Shakespeare’s works. Become a Teacher Member to get exclusive access to lesson plans and professional development.
The Key to Getting ALL Students Understanding and Interpreting Complex Texts
The Key to Getting ALL Students Understanding and Interpreting Complex Texts
Free resource
The First Week of School: Literature Line Toss
The First Week of School: Literature Line Toss
2-Line Scenes - General Shakespeare
Free resource
The Monologue Project
The Monologue Project
Free resource
Essential Everyday Bravery
Early printed texts
Henry IV, Part 2 was first published in 1600 in a quarto that has survived in two different versions. The first (Qa) is missing the scene that we know as 3.1; the second (Qb) includes it. The play was not printed again until its inclusion in the 1623 First Folio (F1). The F1 text has significant differences from the earlier quartos, including substantial additional passages concerning figures in the rebels’ party, the deletion of oaths, and some differences in punctuation, syntax, and stage directions. Modern editors have not come to a consensus about the reason for these differences or about how to handle them today, although most editions provide some sort of combination of Q and F1. The Folger edition is based on the Q text (preferring Qa where possible) and including F1 where Q seems defective. Language that appears only in Q is indicated with square brackets; language that appears only in F1 is marked off with pointed brackets.
