Henry IV 1 Part 2 - The Characters

Part 2 delves further into Hal’s intention to “redeem[ the] time.” It examines the competing value systems that Henry IV, Hotspur, and Falstaff represent, where their strengths lie and where they reveal unexpected limitations, and shows how Hal makes use of all these people – sometimes lovingly, sometimes ruthlessly - to shape himself as a leader. It concludes by asking what it might mean for us, as 21st-century audience members, to redeem the time in which we live.