Henry IV ACTV
Scenes 4 and 5
By: Oliver Payne
Historical Context
O Written by William Shakespeare , believed to
be no later than 1597
O Henry IV is part of a Tetralogy and is the
second book in the series
O Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2,
Henry V
O The book begins in the year around 14021403
ACT V Scene 4 Plot Summary
O Harry refuses to leave battle even though he is heavily
bleeding after the king orders him to. He then leaves
with his brother and Westmoreland, leaving the King
alone. Douglas finally finds the King and is substantially
beating him in battle until Harry jumps in. Harry
eventually scares him off, receiving his father’s upmost
respect. Hotspur finds Harry in battle and they challenge
each other until death. In the heat of the battle Falstaff
enters, cheering Harry on and is confronted by Douglas.
Falstaff plays dead during his battle and Henry kills
Hotspur. Seeing Falstaff and Hotspur dead, Harry
speaks fondly of them and leaves. Falstaff jumps up and
stabs Hotspur in his leg to claim that he was the killer.
Everyone is dumbfounded.
ACT V Scene 4 Literary
Devices and Important Quotes
O Everything is strictly to the point with a
tremendous amount of action, creating a
busy scene
O Falstaff’s quote, “The better part of valor is
discretion, in the which better part I have
saved my life,” (lines 119-120)
O King’s quote: “Thou hast redeemed thy lost
opinion, and showed thou mak’st some
tender of my life, in this fair rescue thou has
brought me,” (lines 46-49)
ACT V Scene 4 Literary
Devices and Important Quotes
O Harry’s quote: “…Two stars keep not their
motion in one sphere…” (line 64) (metaphor)
O Harry’s quote: “ When that this body did
contain a spirit, a kingdom for it was too
small a bound…” (lines 88-89)
O Personification: “…where stained nobility
lies trodden on…” (line 12)
O Mythological Allusion/Simile: “Another king?
They grow like Hydra’s heads.” (lines 23-24)
ACT V Scene 5 Plot Summary
O Henry has won the war and orders the
execution of the rebels Worcester and
Vernon. News arrives that Douglas is
captures, but the King decides to release
him because of his valor and integrity. Henry
then plans to send John and Westmoreland
to York to deal with Northumberland and the
archbishop and himself and Harry to Wales
to deal with Mortimer and Owain Glyndwr.
ACT V Scene 5 Literary
Devices and Important Quotes
O Scene 5 leaves the book open to move on to
the next series in the tetralogy, Henry IV Part
2
O Not all problems are left solved
O Simile: “Three knights upon our party slain
today, a noble earl, and many a creature
else had been alive this hour, if like a
Christian thou hadst truly borne betwixt our
armies true intelligence.” (lines 6-10) (King
to Worcester)
ACT V Scene 5 Literary
Devices and Important Quotes
O Alliteration: “The noble Percy slain, and all
his men upon the foot of fear, fled with the
rest…” (lines 19-20)
O King: “And since this business so fair is
done, let us not leave till all our own be
won,” (lines 43-44)