This complex history play is more troubled and troubling than King Henry IV Part 1 as it
continues the story of King Henry's decline and Hal's reform. Though Part 2 echoes the
structure of the earlier play it is a darker and more unsettling world in which even
Falstaff's revelry is more tired and cynical and the once-merry Hal sloughs off his tavern
companions to become King Henry V. Expertly edited with on-page notes and a lengthy critical
introduction this is an invaluable and authoritative edition.
