The Shakespeare Book

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them ill: “we are all diseased, / And
with our surfeiting and wanton
hours / Have brought ourselves into
a burning fever, / And we must
bleed for it” (4.1.54–57). Even
when the central scenes take us
to Gloucestershire, where pippin
apples and fine game are on the
menu, England appears as a society

THE LORD CHAMBERLAIN’S MAN

in its twilight years where elderly

men ponder sheep prices and tally

the deaths of old friends.

Not even Hal is untouched by

this pervasive malaise. He admits

when he first appears that he is

“exceeding weary” (2.2.1) and seems

bored with his wastrel life. Keeping

up the image of the wayward

scoundrel has become harder since

his father’s illness, and the prince

confides to Poins that his heart

“bleeds inwardly” (2.2.41) for the

king. He is concerned, too,

about how his friends perceive him.

He knows that Falstaff hopes for

future influence at court, but now

he learns that Poins, his close ❯❯

Shakespeare was familiar

with complex royal genealogy

connecting the Houses of

Plantagenet, Lancaster,

York, a nd Tudor.

King Edward III

(1312–77)

From the medieval kings to Elizabeth I

Queen Philippa of Hainault

(1314–69)

Edward the

Black Prince

(1330–76)

Joan of

Kent

(1328–85)

King

Richard II

(1367–1400)

Edmund of

Langley

Duke of York

(1341–1402)

Isabella of

Castille

(1355–92)

John of Gaunt

Duke of Lancaster

(1340–99)

Blanche of

Lancaster

(1345–68)

King Henry IV

(Bolingbroke)

(1366–1413)

Mary de

Bohun

(1368–94) Richard Earl of

Cambridge

(1375–1415)

Edward Duke

of Aumerle

2nd Duke

of York

(1373–1415)

John Duke

of Bedford

(1389–1435)

Humphrey

Duke of

Gloucester

(1390–1447)

King

Henry V

(1386–1422)

Thomas Duke

of Clarence

(1387–1421)

Catherine

of Valois

(1401–37)

Owain

Tudor

(1400–61)

Edmund Tudor

Earl of Richmond

(1430–56)

Margaret

Beaufort

(1441–1509)

King

Henry VI

(1421–71)

King Henry VII

(Richmond)

(1430–1509)

Elizabeth

of York

(1466–1503)

King

Henry VIII

(1491–1547)

Anne Boleyn

(1507–36)

Katherine

of Aragon

(1485–1536)

Queen

Elizabeth I

(1533–1603)

Queen

Mary I

(1516–58)

Richard

Plantagenet

3rd Duke

of York

(1411–60)

King

Richard III

(1452–85)

King

Edward IV

(1422–83)

George Duke

of Clarence

(1449–78)

Elizabeth

Woodville

(1437–92)

King

Edward V

(1470–83)

Plantagenet

York

Lancaster

Tudor