King Henry IV Part 2 : Third Series

More troubled and troubling than King Henry IV Part 1, the play continues the story of King Henry's decline and Hal's reform. Though Part 2 echoes the structure of the earlier play, it is a darker and more unsettling world, in which even Falstaff's revelry is more tired and cynical, and the once-merry Hal sloughs off his tavern companions to become King Henry V.

James C. Bulman's authoritative edition provides a wealth of incisive commentary on this complex history play.

“Bulman’s commentary notes are exhaustive, and he highlights many previously unnoted moments of chronicle history influence … Bulman’s new Arden edition does not merely give textual scholars a tight text and graduate students an authoritative survey of sources and theatrical history. It also effectively argues that we should reevaluate the position of 2 Henry IV within the canon. This masterful edition was well worth the wait.” -Shakespeare Quarterly

"James C. Bulman’s edition of Shakespeare’s King Henry IV, Part 2 includes an extremely informative introduction which breathes new life into this often-neglected play. Bulman expertly navigates the difficult textual terrain—neither the Quarto (which appeared in two issues) nor the Folio provides a fully authoritative copy text—explaining the rationale for his decisions in a detailed but accessible appendix." - Studies in English Literature 1500-1900