Shakespeare’s King Henry IV, Part 1 (or 1 Henry IV) is his most highly praised history play and is generally considered one of his several masterpieces, whether it is seen as an autonomous drama independent of its sequel (2 Henry IV) or as the first half of a two-part work. It is the second of a set of linked history plays by Shakespeare called by scholars the “second historical tetralogy,” in contrast to an earlier and similarly linked set (“the first historical tetralogy”) constituted by 1, 2, and 3 Henry VI and Richard III. In terms of both the story line and the order of the plays’ composition by Shakespeare, 1 Henry IV follows Richard II and is in turn followed by 2 Henry IV and Henry V, telling the story of the fortunes of...
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Citation: Grady, Hugh. "Henry IV, Part One". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2004; last revised 21 November 2019. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4801, accessed 09 June 2026.]
