"Then you perceive the body of our kingdom How foul it is, what rank diseases grow, And with what danger, near the heart of it." These lines, spoken by King Henry IV, symptomize the uneasiness that pervades this play. In fact, the play opens with the entrance of Rumor (a role expanded in this production) who promises to "bring smooth comforts false, worse than true wrongs," thus leading us into one of the essential themes …showed first 75 words of 3811 total…

…showed last 75 words of 3811 total…The sentence structure of this soliloquy is characteristic of the personage in that the lines are lengthy and elaborate. This serves to demonstrate the intelligence and poise of the King. As is typical of all sonnets, this soliloquy ends with a rhyming couplet. This soliloquy from Henry IV, Part II portrays Shakespeare’s great ability as a poet. It effectively shows his use of various literary elements in order to illustrate his meaning. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**