Henry IV, Part I
After deposing King Richard II, Henry Bolingbroke has ascended the throne as Henry IV. Guilt about the desposition troubles his conscience, and the stability of his reign is threatened by growing opposition from some of the nobles who helped him to the throne.
His son, Prince Hal, is living a dissolute life, frequenting the taverns of Eastcheap in the company of Sir John Falstaff and other disreputable characters.
Opposition to the King becomes open rebellion, led by the Earl of Northumberland's son Henry Percy, known for his courage and impetuous nature as Hotspur. The Percy family support the claim to the throne of Hotspur's brother-in-law Edmund Mortimer. The rebellion brings Hal back to his father's side. The King's army meet the rebels at the Battle of Shrewsbury, where Hal vows to seek out and defeat Hotspur.
