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After the events of Richard II, wherein the conceited King Richard II is dethroned and assassinated, Shakespeare’s Henriad continues apace with this multifaceted work that details the reign of Richard’s illegitimate successor, King Henry IV. In this play, the first of two parts, a rift grows between the King and his former allies, the Percys, after Henry raises the ire of the irascible young Hotspur when they butt heads over ransomed prisoners from a recent battle. Collaborating closely with the Welsh and Scots, the Percys carefully plan another rebellious deposition. Meanwhile, Henry’s wayward heir, Prince Hal, is whiling away his time with highwaymen and reprobates in cheap taverns instead of at the court, with his chief companion—and secondary father figure—being the slovenly old braggart Sir John Falstaff (who remains one of Shakespeare’s greatest and most entertaining creations). The antics of Hal and Falstaff strike a lighter contrast to the Percys’ seditious scheming, until both subplots converge at the climactic Battle of Shrewsbury, where Hal’s true character emerges and Henry’s tenuous hold on the throne is put to its ultimate test.