William Shakespeare’s King Henry IV, Part 2 (or 2 Henry IV) is the closely related sequel to his critically acclaimed and highly popular 1 Henry IV (1596). Composition of the play was apparently begun in 1597, and it was first performed in 1598, thus coming shortly after 1 Henry IV’s first 1596 performances (some scholars think that the comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor, which features Sir John Falstaff and other characters from 2 Henry IV, came in between). 2 Henry IV shares many of the same characters as 1 Henry IV, skillfully re-produces the earlier play’s complex dramatic structure, and completes the story of King Henry IV (begun in the first …
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Citation: Grady, Hugh. "Henry IV, Part Two". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 January 2005; last revised 21 November 2019. [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4802, accessed 25 April 2024.]
