Henry IV Part 1 Characters

Prince Harry (a.k.a. "Hal") is the Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne, though you wouldn't know it by his behavior at the beginning of the play. In our first encounters with Hal, we fin...

Falstaff is an old, fat, disgraced knight and Prince Hal's partner in crime. Always looking for a good time, Falstaff eats, drinks, steals, trash talks, and celebrates his way through life – in b...

Harry Percy (a.k.a. "Hotspur"), the son of the Earl of Northumberland, is a young nobleman who leads the rebellion against King Henry IV. A courageous and impetuous young leader, he's got a "hot" t...

King Henry IV is Prince Hal's father and the title character of Shakespeare's play. Throughout the play, Henry's reign is threatened by border skirmishes with the Welsh and Scots, a rebel uprising,...

A rebel, Northumberland is a member of the Percy family and the father of Hotspur. He played a significant role helping King Henry to the crown in Richard II and in Henry IV Part 1 is disgruntled w...

Worcester is a rebel and a member of the Percy family. The uncle of Hotspur, he's somewhat manipulative of his nephew. After the king makes a peace offering, Worcester decides to withhold the infor...

Douglas or, "the Douglas" is a Scottish rebel. He's captured in battle by Hotspur at the beginning of the play, but is freed without ransom to join the Percy family's rebellion against the king. A...

Glendower is the leader of the Welsh rebels. He brags about having magical powers and is associated with the "wildness" of Wales, which Elizabethans viewed as a mysterious place. Glendower is the f...

Mortimer is an English nobleman. At the beginning of the play we learn he's been captured by the Welsh Glendower and his troops have been slaughtered. King Henry refuses to ransom him from his capt...

Blunt is a loyal nobleman. He's a messenger for the king and conveys important news throughout the play. He's by no means a major character, but we think he's a significant figure nonetheless. Duri...

Westmoreland is a loyal nobleman. He's frequently at the king's side and at the end of the play he rides to York with Prince John in order to capture some remaining rebels.

Kate Percy is Hotspur's neglected wife and the sister of Mortimer. Though she doesn't appear in many scenes of the play, Kate is witty, patient, and playful with her husband, Hotspur, who acts like...

Lady Mortimer is the wife of Mortimer, an Englishman who betrays his country by marrying her and joining her father's (Glendower's) forces in Wales. Lady Mortimer has no printed speaking lines in t...

Mistress Quickly is the hostess of the Boar's Head Tavern in Eastcheap, London, which is the kind of joint frequented by criminals, prostitutes, and assorted disreputable figures (like Prince Hal a...

Poins is one of Prince Hal's low-life sidekicks. He helps Hal play a mean trick on one of the tavern drawers and is also the mastermind behind the double robbery at Gads Hill.

Bardolph is one of Falstaff's loser pals who takes part in the Gads Hill robbery. He likes to drink – a lot – and is famous for his ruddy complexion and red nose.

Peto is another one of Falstaff's low-life cronies who takes part in the Gads Hill robbery.

Gadshill (not to be confused with Gads Hill) is a thief and an associate of Falstaff. He appears to be an "inside man" who gathers intelligence from his friends who work at roadside inns who can de...

Prince John of Lancaster (so named because he was born in Lancaster) is King Henry's second son. In the play, Prince John is a minor character. He appears to be the complete opposite of his brother...

Richard Scroop (York) is one of the Percy family's associates and a rebel. He appears in Act four, scene four, when he predicts the defeat of the rebel army at Shrewsbury. At the end of the play, K...

Sir Michael is a rebel and a friend of Richard Scroop, Archbishop of York. In Act 4, Scene 4 he takes a sealed letter from the Archbishop to deliver to other rebel forces.

Vernon is a rebel and a close associate of Worcester. He often tries to be a voice of reason when Hotspur gets carried away. Vernon is perhaps best known for deceiving Hotspur. When King Henry offe...