“I am not only witty in myself, but the cause that wit is in other men”: So declares Falstaff, the roguish aging knight who has remained for over four centuries among the most beloved comic figures in all English drama. The boozy boon companion to Prince Hal (the future Henry V), Falstaff is both father-figure and antithesis of the kingly virtues embodied by the dying Henry IV. In this course, we explore the tension and emotional richness in Hal’s relationship with these opposing father-figures, as the young prince must assume the responsibilities of kingship in a land rife with civil unrest and rebellion.

    
After each hour-long class, there will be an optional half-hour session (gratis to course registrants), in which participants may perform (or just listen to) dramatic readings of the scenes discussed in class.

At the end of the semester, students may participate in the Princeton Shakespeare Players’ on-line performance of the play, free and open to the public. There will be optional class trips to local productions of Shakespeare’s works.

Text/Materials:  All required texts and related materials will be supplied on-line by the instructor (at no additional cost). Recommended texts: Henry IV, Part 2: Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library, Simon & Schuster, 2020 (ISBN: 978-1-982-1-57401); Harold Bloom, Falstaff: Give Me Life, Simon and Schuster, 2017 (ISBN: 978-1-5011-6414-9); Harold Bloom, The Invention of the Human, Riverhead Books, 1999 (ISBN 978-157322-751-3). The entire play is also available gratis, at: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/henry-iv-part-2/read/