Henry IV (Pirandello) Lesson Plan

At the beginning of the play, the privy counselors say that the throne room could be in Goslar, Hartzburg, or Worms. What do you think this means? What insight does it give us into the nature and progression of the play?

The counselors are explaining that although there are a lot of historical references to their play-acting with Henry, the action also jumps around in time. The same throne room in the villa can represent many different historical places for Henry. In some ways, the villa is like a child's playroom where he uses his imagination to make-believe that it is several different places. This reflects the "mad" nature of the counselors' lives with Henry, where...