Henry IV, Part 2 is the third installmentof Shakespeare's first Henriad tetralogy. It follows Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and precedes Henry V. Shakespeare wrote a second Henriad tetralogy that follows the War of the Roses. This series of four plays includes the plays Henry VI, Part 1; Henry VI, Part 2; Henry VI, Part 3; and Richard III. Shakespeare also wrote three Roman histories: Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra.
Other major Shakespearean plays that deal with family history and contests of power include Macbeth and Hamlet.
Henry IV, Part 2 has inspired many adaptations and spin-offs. Orson Welles's Chimes at Midnight is a reimagining of the story from the...