King Henry IV

Although the play is named after him, Henry actually plays a relatively secondary role in the text with his son stealing much of the spotlight. Furthermore, in the previous play, Henry seemed like the one best suited to be king, especially compared to Richard II’s fickle nature and clumsy political manoeuvres. But in this play, Henry and his kingdom are “wan with care,” exhausted by the threat of treason and plagued by paranoia. Hence, this play begins to show us why Hal, soon to be Henry V, is actually a more effective leader than his father.