Henry IV Part 2 – Act 2 “Well, thus we play the fools with the time, and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us… in every thing the purpose must weigh with the folly.”

Henry IV Part 2 – Act 2 “Well, thus we play the fools with the time, and the

spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us… in every

thing the purpose must weigh with the folly.”

If ‘Henry IV Part 1' was essentially a coming of age historical drama where Prince Hal finally becomes a man, then ‘Henry IV Part 2’ shows how hard it is to embrace the responsibilities of being an adult. Part of this journey, for Prince Hal, is for him to let go of his old companions and their ways but not before one last adventure into this seedy world.

At the seedy Boar's Head Tavern in Eastcheap in London, Falstaff has even managed to upset the patient and good-hearted Mistress Quickly (who still hangs on Falstaff’s promise of marriage). She has called two officers to arrest Falstaff for his unpaid bills. Falstaff and his friend Bardolph attack the officers and then the Lord Chief Justice, who just happens to have been innocently wandering about Eastcheap, enters and hearing some details of the situation, orders that Falstaff pays the Hostess the money he owes her and apologizes for not marrying her. All this seems reasonable, but Falstaff has other ideas and calling Mistress Quickly aside, he charms and convinces her to pawn her silver plates and her luxious tapestries so that she can loan him the money so that he can pay her back. Falstaff then makes plans for that very night to have a late sensual supper with his favourite prostitute Doll Tearsheet. Then messages arrive for the Lord Chief Justice that King Henry IV is returning to London from fighting the rebels in Wales. The news that forces are also being sent to the north to combat the rebel forces of Northumberland and the Archbishop of York force the Lord Chief Justice to remind Falstaff that he must get onto the road and draft men along the way to face the rebels.

Across the other side of London, Prince Hal is looking back on his days of drinking with Falstaff and company with great regret especially now that his father the king is so ill. Ironically, Bardolph then enters with a letter from Falstaff to Prince Hal which flamboyantly and poetically greets Prince Hal, but this letter stirs Prince Hal to play another trick on Falstaff. He decides that he and Poins will dress up as servants at the tavern and spy on Falstaff. It seems that Shakespeare has worked out how to allow even the most involved historical dramatic plots to include large diversions into the landscape of comedy.

We then move north, to the castle of the Earl of Northumberland where Northumberland, his wife and his daughter in law are grieving the death of Hotspur in the war against King Henry IV. Lady Percy blames Northumberland for his son’s death because Northumberland didn’t send troops to the battle of Shrewsbury. The futility of war is discussed and Northumberland decides that he will not support the rebels in their continued fight against King Henry IV’s troops.

We switch back to Eastcheap in London where Falstaff is at supper with Bardoloh, Mistress Quickly and his favourite lady of the night Doll Tearsheet. When Pistol, an old army friend of Falstaff arrives, a fight almost breaks out. Pistol is driven out and Falstaff and Doll Tearsheet makes amorous advances. Prince Hal and Poins sneak in disguised as men serving supper. Falstaff starts to big note himself and put down Prince Hal. Prince Hal and Poins reveal themselves and as they argue, Peto arrives with the news that King Henry IV is back at Westminster Castle. He also points out that army officers are now looking for Falstaff. Falstaff says goodbye to all as he prepares to go back to battle the rebels in the north. Comedy must now move aside as the play moves back to the dramatic ground of a Historical drama.