This is probably the most legitimately, straightforwardly funny Shakespeare play I've read/seen. I've been reading Shakespeare completely out of order so I got the narration of Falstaff's off-screen death, and Falstaff's less interesting adventures in MWoW, before I actually read this, and understood why audiences were invested in the character. Falstaff and Henry trolling each other isn't the only source of humor in the play, either, my favorite side gag is probably Hotspur's exasperation with Glendower's occult pretensions. I don't think there's any scene in the whole play that plays straight.

Also it's more of a Henry V prequel than a play about Henry IV. ( )