Many of Shakespeare’s plays explore relationships between parents who think they know best and sons or daughters who want to go their own way.
Summary
Henry IV Part 1 is a history play that tells the story of the King of England, Henry IV, who is having both political and personal problems.
Young Harry (Prince Henry), heir to the throne, is the black sheep of the royal family. King Henry, his angry father, tells him that doing London pub crawls with cheap, vulgar, low-life people is no way to prepare for being King of England. When he was Harry’s age, he was seldom seen in public, so people never got weary of the sight of him. He was like a fabulous comet, a shooting star, an awesome person, to be respected. In the end, he says he wants to see more of his son, because he loves him.
Watch this scene in a BBC performance. Look carefully at the last gesture made by the king.
