Will McKay, Zoë Goslin, Levi Morger and Ariana Karpdiscuss Act I of King Henry IV Part I. Among the topics discussed:

• All three worlds in the first act
• Henry IV’s reign characterized by civil war, his belief in the importance of a Crusade to the Holy Land
• Henry’s language characterized by metaphor and personification
• “Beastly shameless transformation” of the dead bodies by Welsh women
• Miscommunication and misinformation during the battle scenes
• Hal’s balance of thought and expectation, Hal as observer
• Falstaff’s aspirations for the glorification of thieves title - and his attempt to influence domestic policy
• What is Poin’s status?
• The title of “sweet” as a term of endearment and intimacy for the tavern folk
• Hotspur’s disdain for the court and politics
• The danger and daring of the conspiracy being initiated in the throne room

Roger Alum and Jamie Parker in the Globe's production of King Henry IV Part I.