Enrico IV
Encyclopedia
Henry IV is a play by Luigi Pirandello
. A study on madness with comic and tragic sides, it has been translated into English by Tom Stoppard
and others. Its titular character is a man who believes himself to be Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
.
Rex Harrison
starred in a noted British production which went to Broadway in 1973, but the Stoppard translation was not used in the production.
On request from his dying mother, de Nolli brings a Doctor referred to as the latest in a succession to try and cure Henry (whose real name, if it is not Henry, is never mentioned). All the action of the play occurs in this one day of the visit.
Accompanying de Nolli and the Doctor are:
In the first two acts the visitors play parts from the period whilst interacting with Henry.
The play begins with the induction of Bertoldo to the band of privy councillors, who has prepared for the part in Henry IV
's court. The visitors then arrive and are later introduced to Henry. Henry mistakes Belcredi's disguise of a simple monk for Peter Damian
and reacts angrily, but is later calmed.
Act two begins with speculation among the visitors about Henry, as well as what he sees in Matilda, who argues constantly with Belcredi. Henry enters once more and his behaviour is increasingly erratic. Once the visitors arrive Henry declares to his councillors that he is not truly mad, but has been aware of the nature of his existence for some time. However he has preferred to stay as he was than to live in the 20th century (the play is set in the 1920s). And his behaviour and speech are still abnormal.
Upon learning of this revelation the visitors confront Henry, who acts angrily to them, particularly Belcredi. At the end of the act he grabs Frida, who is dressed as in the portrait in preparation for the Doctor's plan to shock Henry out of his madness. In the ensuing altercation Henry stabs Belcredi. The visitors flee, and Henry resumes his regal persona as the curtain falls.
Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written...
. A study on madness with comic and tragic sides, it has been translated into English by Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
and others. Its titular character is a man who believes himself to be Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
.
Rex Harrison
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey “Rex” Harrison was an English actor of stage and screen. Harrison won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards.-Youth and stage career:...
starred in a noted British production which went to Broadway in 1973, but the Stoppard translation was not used in the production.
Plot overview
A talented actor and historian falls off his horse in a historical pageant while playing the role of Henry IV. When he comes to, he believes himself to be Henry. For the next twenty years his nephew, Count de Nolli, funds an elaborate hoax in a remote villa, where actors play the roles of Henry's privy councillors and simulate the 11th century court.On request from his dying mother, de Nolli brings a Doctor referred to as the latest in a succession to try and cure Henry (whose real name, if it is not Henry, is never mentioned). All the action of the play occurs in this one day of the visit.
Accompanying de Nolli and the Doctor are:
- Frida, de Nolli's fiancée.
- Frida's mother, Matilda (whom Henry loved, unrequited, before the accident). The character notes describe Matilda as widow, and neither Henry nor Belcredi are Frida's father. A portrait of the young Matilda in costume from the pageant, dressed as Matilda of TuscanyMatilda of TuscanyMatilda of Tuscany was an Italian noblewoman, the principal Italian supporter of Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy. She is one of the few medieval women to be remembered for her military accomplishments...
hangs on the wall of the throne room. Frida is now the spitting image of her mother as she was then. - Matilda's lover, Belcredi.
In the first two acts the visitors play parts from the period whilst interacting with Henry.
The play begins with the induction of Bertoldo to the band of privy councillors, who has prepared for the part in Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
's court. The visitors then arrive and are later introduced to Henry. Henry mistakes Belcredi's disguise of a simple monk for Peter Damian
Peter Damian
Saint Peter Damian, O.S.B. was a reforming monk in the circle of Pope Gregory VII and a cardinal. In 1823, he was declared a Doctor of the Church...
and reacts angrily, but is later calmed.
Act two begins with speculation among the visitors about Henry, as well as what he sees in Matilda, who argues constantly with Belcredi. Henry enters once more and his behaviour is increasingly erratic. Once the visitors arrive Henry declares to his councillors that he is not truly mad, but has been aware of the nature of his existence for some time. However he has preferred to stay as he was than to live in the 20th century (the play is set in the 1920s). And his behaviour and speech are still abnormal.
Upon learning of this revelation the visitors confront Henry, who acts angrily to them, particularly Belcredi. At the end of the act he grabs Frida, who is dressed as in the portrait in preparation for the Doctor's plan to shock Henry out of his madness. In the ensuing altercation Henry stabs Belcredi. The visitors flee, and Henry resumes his regal persona as the curtain falls.