William Shakespeare's "King Henry IV Part 1" teachers' review for NSW HSC 2027-2028

Brief description and distinctive features

King Henry IV Part 1 is set for study in 2027-2028 in Year 12 in Advanced: Critical study of literature. It is currently prescribed for 2019-2026 HSC for Advanced: Module B: Critical study of literature.

Why choose King Henry IV Part 1 for Critical Study of Literature

• In Standard this Focus Area is called Close Study but in Advanced it is Critical Study and that is key to your teaching and students learning and responding. “Critical” is to make a judgment and that moves students from annotation and analysis to a genuine and intelligent consideration of different perspectives and ideas on this wonderful play that can then be used to enhance and enrich student responses. Students should be encouraged to feel confident in the judgment they make especially if those judgments are substantiated by cogent reading to fulfill this feature of the syllabus: Students develop analytical and critical knowledge of a substantial literary text.
  
  Indeed, this concept of Critical Study is highlighted in the syllabus description: This allows (students) to develop their own interpretations of the text, basing their judgements on evidence drawn from their research and reading, enabling the development of a deeper and richer understanding of the text. (They) investigate the perspectives of others, and explore the ideas in the text, further strengthening their personal perspectives.
• Students need to consider how “understanding” and “appreciation” differ and that “appreciation” will grow as students read widely about this play.
• Students need to keep focus on these three aspects of the play: distinctive qualities, meaning and value.
• The accessibility of this play and the fact it is such a wonderful story will give your students pleasure and fulfilment.
• The joy of the Critical Study focus Area is that you can devote the entire allocated time on the play. It is not uncommon for a specific extract to be prescribed so students must become experts in the play in its entirety.

Distinctive features of King Henry IV Part 1

Henry IV Part 1 has significance and relevance beyond its context: what is it about this play which makes it still appeal today?

• It has appealing characters including Henry, Hal, Hotspur and Falstaff
• It is a history play loosely based on real historical events which Shakespeare’s audience would know
• Written during the reign of Elizabeth I when there was concern about the queen’s lack of succession and the prospect this could cause a civil war, echoing the War of the Roses.
• Five Acts which build to the conflict and climax of the battle and a more mature and resolute Harry. 
• There are enjoyable comic moments.
• It explores many themes/messages which are highly relevant today about how people behave, including abuse of power, what makes a good leader, how people can change.
• Its language is rich, powerful and full of evocative imagery which enables it to transcend time and place. 
• It is part of a cycle of history plays about the War of the Roses; Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV parts 1 and 2, Henry V, Henry VI. In the set play the King is Henry IV and his son is called Hal or Harry and will eventually become Henry V.

Ways into teaching King Henry IV Part 1 in the HSC classroom

Consider a brief summary of the play’s story to help students orient to the narrative: the NESA prescribed edition is Cambridge which has some very useful introductory sections to assist this early orientation: 

• Before the play begins which is a brief but useful summary of where this play fits in to the tetralogy.
• Map of England to show the world of the play.
• List of characters: create a classroom wall chart for students to reference during the play’s exploration.
• The accompanying notes to the script in the Cambridge edition are very useful, for example on p.4: A Crusade: Henry’s mixed motives on p.4

Later in your exploration alert students to other features of the Cambridge edition and use some of the information in your teaching:

• At the end of each Act is a valuable section: Looking back on … and on p.184 are some activities for students: Looking Back at the play.
• The next section on What is the play about on p.186 explores some of the significant ideas including honour, order and disorder
• The following chapters on Characters, The language of the play and History into drama are also useful.

Exploring the play

I would recommend an audio version of the play so that students can follow and hear professional actors gaining the most out of Shakespeare’s language. Audible has a version for sale and there are various free YouTube recordings. 

Another idea is to use two scripts - the Cambridge and an online script, for example, the Folger site where there are options for the download format.

This should not replace a hard copy of the prescribed edition not only for the additional explanation and information, but NESA will be using the Cambridge 1998 edition for any extracts in the HSC.

Students may like to highlight and annotate using insert comment so you can copy and paste specific scenes, speeches, dialogue into a Word Document. 

In your initial exploration of the play alert students to the way Shakespeare uses balance as a motif which provides effective dramatic oppositions contributing much of the play’s engaging tension. Some commentators refer to this as binaries or contrasts but the effect is a balance of opposites. 

These include:

• Court and tavern
• Father and son
• Honour and dishonour
• Legitimacy and pretence
• Errant young man and chivalric warrior
• Peace and war 
• History and comedy

The setting is where the action takes place and in this play it alternates from the court/palace to the tavern to show the contrast. Later in the play there are also scenes on the battlefield. 

The setting in this play has two functions:

1. Where the action takes place
2. How the characters interact in the setting and what it reveals about them and the play’s ideas/themes.

• The settings will alternate and this enables Shakespeare to build the idea of comparison and contrast adding to more examples of binaries and balance:
• • Henry IV and Hal
  • Henry IV and Falstaff
  • Hal and Hotspur
  • Hal and Falstaff
• Before exploring the play suggest that students orient themselves to the various Acts and scenes and make a list of the setting for each scene.

How much background on the history is needed?

It is important to emphasise that this is Shakespeare’s retelling of real historical events so some changes have occurred for dramatic effect, for example: Falstaff is Shakespeare’s own fictional creation, the ages of the characters have changed and at the Battle of Shrewsbury Hal and Hotspur did not meet in individual combat.

But students need to understand that Shakespeare was a chronicler of his own times and Civil War had already happened in Britain and could happen again (which it did). Civil War is feared because being a war within a country and between its own people creates long-term consequences and human misery. Conflict and animosity continues and can destroy the country’s fabric. But above all the people are fighting each other and this can destroy families and relationships. So, this play is not only reflecting real events from England’s history but Shakespeare is warning his audience about the problems of instability. Shakespeare chose to validate and confirm the political rights of the monarchy as paramount. 

It is important to engage the students in the first scene as this establishes several key ideas and characters as well as some of the backstory. 

Act I scene I 

Traditionally this should establish key features of the play:

• Where and when it is set
• Some main characters
• Some key ideas
• Some important aspects of tone and mood

The King is speaking in a very formal setting to discuss the recent battle and to establish his legitimacy and authority and to summarise for the audience what has happened. Henry will conclude this play with another speech about another battle. 

By opening the play with a grand public speech by King Henry his credentials are established as the King and the rightful ruler.

It occurs in the palace which is the symbol of royalty, propriety and stability and Henry is surrounded by the key members of his court- his nobles- Lord John of Lancaster, Earl of Westmoreland, Sir Walter Blunt and others.

As a play this scene has two audiences: the people to whom Henry is directly addressing in this opening strong speech and those watching in the theatre who can also observe the reactions and responses of the other characters.

Discussion for Act I scene I 

Admitting England’s exhaustion is an unusual way for a King to open his discussions with his supporters and nobles. 

What are the most important lines in the opening speech and how does this opening contribute to our assessment of King Henry? 

I.i.

So shaken as we are, so wan with care,
Find we a time for frighted peace to pant,
And breathe short-winded accents of new broils
To be commenced in strands afar remote.
No more the thirsty entrance of this soil
Shall daub her lips with her own children's blood;
Nor more shall trenching war channel her fields,
Nor bruise her flowerets with the armed hoofs
Of hostile paces: those opposed eyes,
Which, like the meteors of a troubled heaven,
All of one nature, of one substance bred,
Did lately meet in the intestine shock
And furious close of civil butchery
Shall now, in mutual well-beseeming ranks,
March all one way and be no more opposed
Against acquaintance, kindred and allies:
The edge of war, like an ill-sheathed knife,
No more shall cut his master. Therefore, friends,   
As far as to the sepulchre of Christ,  
Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross  
We are impressed and engaged to fight, 
Forthwith a power of English shall we levy;
Whose arms were moulded in their mothers' womb 
To chase these pagans in those holy fields
Over whose acres walk'd those blessed feet 

Which fourteen hundred years ago were nail'd 
For our advantage on the bitter cross.
But this our purpose now is twelve month old,
And bootless 'tis to tell you we will go:
Therefore we meet not now. Then let me hear
Of you, my gentle cousin Westmoreland,
What yesternight our council did decree
In forwarding this dear expedience. 

Comments could include 

• In the first four lines Henry reveals that the previous battle has taken its toll and has “shaken” everyone and made them feel overwhelmed and exhausted.
• He knows that they must consider there will be some new battles to fight. Note the balanced opening sentence which establishes one of the play’s concerns: war and its effect; peace is often short-lived.
• This section is critical to Henry establishing his legitimacy and power and to warn against instability through insurrection or usurpation or regicide.
• Elizabethans would have been aware that Henry gained the throne by overthrowing Richard II and having Richard executed. So, Henry’s entitlement to the throne was under challenge and question.
• Henry’s complex speech is long and rhetorical.  Rhetoric is the art of persuasion, and this is meant to both condemn civil war, to warn those who may be contemplating revenge and to consolidate Henry’s position and power.

The speech is full of powerful imagery and symbols to criticise civil war and its impact:

• Strong opening with a direct point of view: No more
• Henry sustains this denunciation of war by the tricolon nor
• Strong imagery through personifying England as a person: lips, children’s blood
• Images of war and its effect: trenching war channel her fields, armed hoofs
• Words which evoke the enemy: hostile, opposed
• In contrast are the references to unity: one nature, one substance, mutual, one way, no more opposed, kindred and allies
• Role of nature: simile of Like the meteors of a troubled heaven
• The powerful imagery associated with “civil butchery”: within the same town and butchery has all the connotations of murder, cruelty, no respect, massacre. 
• Metaphor of the ill-sheathed knife is very effective as it is suggesting that if the knife is not properly enclosed or protected it will cut the owner so this becomes a metaphor for England will be cut and injured if we allow the knives to be used by everyone. 
• It is also a warning about attacking the natural order of the monarchy.

Task

In what ways does Shakespeare draw us into the key elements of Henry IV Part I in the opening Act? What do we most learn about Henry, Hal and Hotspur in this Act?

Write about 800-900 words with close reference to the text.

HSC style questions for King Henry IV Part 1

HSC style questions to workshop in small groups or individually: 

• “Comedy steps into the path of history and is crushed”. 
  To what extent does this view align with your understanding of King Henry IV, Part 1? 
  In your response, make close reference to your prescribed text.
  
  
• "An understanding of the value of integrity and power can be revealed through the text’s form and language." 
  From the context of your critical study, to what extent does this view accord with your interpretation of King Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare?
  
  
• In the context of your critical study, to what extent does your response to the closing scenes of Henry IV Part 1 inform your judgement of this play as a whole?
  
  
• “Literature cannot be appreciated without empathy and without acknowledging uncomfortable truths”. 
  To what extent does this statement apply to your prescribed text?
  
  
• “Quality drama is concerned with the complexities associated with being human."
  From the context of your critical study, to what extent does this view accord with your interpretation of King Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare?
  In your response make detailed reference to the play.

Relevant details in relation to the new NSW English Stage 6 HSC syllabus

There are requirements for particular types of texts to be selected from the prescribed texts list for different courses. Great care must be taken in selecting a pathway of texts that meets all the requirements.

For the Advanced course

Four prescribed texts to be studied with at least ONE from each of the following categories (prose fiction, poetry, and drama OR nonfiction OR film OR media) and ONE authored by Shakespeare

Possible pathways for HSC Advanced English course