The Comic and the Serious in Shakespeares Henry IV

The Comic and the Serious in Henry IV, Part 1 Of all his plays, William Shakespeares historical trilogy of royal succession remains among his best loved and most frequently revisited. Characteristic of Shakespeares most critically important works, the succession trilogy humanizes the courtly affairs of kings and nobleman with an unbiased balance of humor and gravity. This provides a compelling vehicle for examining the decidedly human frailties and fortitudes that come with the mantle of power. Believed to have been completed and first staged in 1597, Henry IV, Part 1 is the successor to Richard II and the forerunner to Henry IV, Part 2 and Henry V. The play concerns the events surrounding the succession to the throne roughly two hundred years prior to its authorship. In the installment that is considered here, the playwright tells the story of Henry IVs embattled transition into authority, the wave of rebellions that ensued and his son Prince Hals maturation from carousing low-life to future king. These events presuppose an exceedingly dark and bloody time in Englands history, with the countryside badly impacted by war. Simultaneously though, Shakespeare infuses his telling of these events with humorous subplots that go a long way to illuminate the human dimensions of his characters. This balance between the serious and the comic elements of Shakespeares telling is what makes Henry IV one of the playwrights most revealing investigations of the human condition.Show MoreRelated Comedy in I Henry IV and II Henry IV by William Shakespeare Essay2535 Words   |  11 PagesComedy in I Henry IV and II Henry IV  Ã‚      In I Henry IV and II Henry IV, William Shakespeare brings together drama and comedy to create two of the most compelling history plays ever written. Many of Shakespeares other works are nearly absolute in their adherence to either the comic or tragic traditions, but in the two Henry IV plays Shakespeare combines comedy and drama in ways that seem to bring a certain realism to his characters, and thus the plays. 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