Henry IV, Part 1 (1990, Michael Bogdanov) part 5 of 17

Shakespeare's "King Henry IV, Part 1" performed by the The English Shakespeare Company


Hotspur - Andrew Jarvis
Lady Percy - Ann Penfold
Henry Prince of Wales - Michael Pennington
Poins - Charles Dale
Bardolph - Colin Farrell (actor born 1938)


Director Michael Bogdanov

Henry Norman Hudson writes (from intro of an 1857 edition of this play):

How different is the atmosphere which waits upon that marvellous group of rebel war-chiefs, whereof Hotspur is the soul, and where chivalry reigns as supremely as wit and humour do in the haunts of FalstafT. It is exceedingly difficult to speak of Hotspur satisfactorily; not indeed because the lines of his character are not bold and prominent enough, but rather because they are so much so. For his frame is greatly disproportioned, which causes him to be all the more distinguishable, and perhaps to seem larger than he really is; and one of his leading excesses manifests itself in a wiry, close-twisted, red-hot speech, which burns into the mind such an impression of him as must needs make any commentary seem prosaic and dull.

There is no mistaking him: no character in Shakespeare stands more apart in plenitude of peculiarity; and stupidity itself can hardly so disguise or disfeature him with criticism, but that he will still be recognized by any one that has ever seen him. He is as much a monarch in his sphere as the king and Falstaff are in theirs; only they rule more by power, he by emphasis and stress: there is something in them that takes away the will and spirit of resistance; he makes every thing bend to his arrogant, domineering, capricious temper.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Shakespeare
• King-Henry-IV
• 1H4
• Michael-Pennington
• Andrew-Jarvis
• play
• theatre

[Nelsonhojax15]

The scene between Percy and his wife is just adorable, great language coupled with some excellent staging and acting!

[TheImpossibleMan]

This Hotspur's puggish ugliness does a good job of desexualizing him, something supported by the text of this scene. He's a man meant for the battlefield, not the bedroom, and even this encounter is a fight.

[102ador]

it is good so far Hotspur is great as well as the King and Falstaff but the prince i am yet convinced. dnt reall see much conviction. but i'll see later on