Click here for the video we didn't get to watch in class. Act 1 takes up the first twenty minutes. Warning: it's noisy, and they cut a lot of lines.
Here's your assignment for the weekend: Read and annotate Act 2 of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1. Answer one of the questions below in a well-developed paragraph:
1. A major aim of Act 2, scene 2 is to make the audience laugh as much as possible. Nevertheless, is Falstaff serious in parts of this scene? Write a rhetorical analysis of Falstaff's language that explains whether he is jesting throughout the scene, or if he turns serious at key moments.
2. Do Hotspur and Lady Percy really love each other? Write a rhetorical analysis of Hotspur and Lady Percy's conversations in scene 3, and explain why they speak to each other as they do. You should consider the context of the conversation as well as each character's purpose and persona in developing your response.
3. In Act 2, scene 4, Hal and Falstaff take roles as Henry IV and Hal in preparation for Hal's impending visit with his father. With an emphasis on their language, explain how Hal and Falstaff convey the king's seriousness.
