Henry IV

At the beginning of Henry IV I was bored. I may be the only English major that does not fully enjoy reading Shakespeare, but I do not like it. I am just not a fan. It could be that I struggle with reading it or maybe I rush through it but I I have never enjoyed his writing. To enjoy Shakespeare I usually need somebody much wiser than I to interpret the work into terms that make sense to me. Obviously my hand was not held through the play, but after finishing and reviewing the play, I don't hate it. I am still not to the thoroughly enjoyed it stage but I understand it.

I did have a favorite plot line. Prince Hal's battle between fun Hal and Prince Henry is a battle everyone goes through at some point in their life - stuck between who they want to be and who someone else wants them to be. Hal and I have one thing in common. The person/people wanting us to be someone else was our parent(s). I can relate to Hal. He wanted to be fun Hal - the bar-cruising, fun loving guy and his father wanted him to be the heir to the throne and the true prince. Shakespeare and I may not necessarily get along but we had a connection in Henry IV.

When asked what I know about the Rennaissance my answer is always William Shakespeare. The man was lucky to have lived in the rebirth of the arts and to have access ot his own theatre. Henry IV is a historical play framing what actually happened during the time with King Henry. Because of the timeline within the play, Henry IV fits perfectly in the Rennaissance period.