He first says what actually happened at the battle of Shrewsbury. King Henry defeated the rebels lead by Hotspur. In Henry IV Part I, Shakespeare’s portrayal of the battle shows Prince Hal killing Hotspur and rescuing his father from death at the hands of the Scottish warrior Douglas. Rumour recounts how he has spread false reports everywhere, claiming that King Henry and Prince Hal have been killed in the battle. Rumour knows that to Northumberland, father of Hotspur, the lies about the battle will be comforting but eventually hurtful, ‘smooth comforts false.’
Rumour is visiting a house in the north of England. This is the castle of the Earl of , a powerful nobleman. Northumberland is part of a dangerous conspiracy to overthrow King Henry. The rebel army, led by Northumberland's son, young , has just been defeated by the forces of the king. However, the gossip sweeping the countryside has the news backward. Rumour has come to tell Northumberland that his side has won and that his son, Hotspur, is still safe, both are lies. Rumour telling these lies creates an atmosphere of anxiety and unrest.
Rumour then disappears, and a messenger from the battle, , arrives at the Earl of Northumberland's house. Lord Bardolph has news from Shrewsbury, where the great battle is taking place. He tells Northumberland news that makes him very happy.
King Henry has been wounded, his allies captured or killed, and the king's own son, , killed by Northumberland's son Hotspur. This meaning the rebels are victorious.
However, another messenger arrives, Lord Bardolph's servant, . Travers says he has even more recent news, the rebellion has been lost and been lost badly. Lord Bardolph does not believe him, but Travers is soon followed by a third messenger, Morton. Morton has very bad news indeed, the rebellion has been lost, and Northumberland's son, Hotspur, has been killed by the king's son Prince Hal. Not the other way around as rumour suggested.
Consequently resulting in Northumberland being heartbroken and upon learning this he vows to take a terrible revenge. Northumberland's reaction is a wild spasm of grief. He uses powerful language that seems to call down a curse upon his son's killers,
‘Now bind my brows with iron!
Let heaven kiss earth! Now let not Nature's hand
Keep the wild flood confin'd! Let order die!’
His friends, however, calm him down by reminding him that raging against the world will do no good and that he and his allies have known all along the risk of their actions. As Morton says,
‘You cast th'event of war
before you said
'Let us make head.' It was your presurmise
That in the dole of blows your son might drop’
Lord Bardolph and Morton calm him down, reminding him that he, his brother, and his son all knew the risks of war before they began.
After the rebels begin to argue whether a rebellion is the right option.
Lord Bardolph is the cautious one, he talks of building a house.
He compares how careful people plan and build a house with how the rebels should carry out the rebellion. If they do not have enough
soldiers, then the rebellion will fail, like a house builder with insufficient resources who is forced to abandon his half-built house, ‘part created post.’
Falstaff while being viewed as less humorous and less likeable than in part I still plays an important and popular role in this play. His character although being less than admirable calls for our affection and loyalty.
He appears unscrupulous and malicious as he preys on Justice Shallow and Hostess Quickly, exploiting the friendship and hospitality that both offer. He is still a thief, liar, parasite, drunkard, lecher, braggart, swindler, fraud, sponger and glutton as before. He still has no respect for the law.
The Lord Chief Justice wants to know why Falstaff, suspected of being involved in a robbery at Gad’s Hill never came to see him. He lives a degenerate style of life. He encourages Prince Hal in an unsuitable lifestyle for an heir. Falstaff’s behaviour creates unease and lawlessness.
Falstaff reveals more of his style. He uses polite language (with veiled insults) to a superiors face, but behind their back he speaks as he feels. The Lord Chief Justice asks Falstaff to carry a message to Westmorland, but after the Justice has left, Falstaff speaks his mind
‘If I do, fillip me with a three-man beetle.’
Always an opportunist, and ready to exploit others for his own advantage, he makes use of anything that will serve his interests. When he thinks that his gout will make him limp, he decides to pretend the limp is a war wound, saying
‘A good wit will make use of anything.
I will turn diseases to commodity.’
Throughout the play, England is threatened with collapse into the chaos of disorder. King Henry, having defeated Hotspur’s rebellion faces renewed rebellion lead by the Archbishop. In the very first scene, the rebel Northumberland declares the theme of unease and anxiety.
Shakespeare deepens the theme in the comic subplot. He pits Falstaff, who threatens to bring about anarchy , against the Lord Chief Justice, who stands for law and order.
Shakespeare sets the stage for the rest of the play by making the atmosphere of the first act tense and filled with uncertainty.
