Additional printings followed frequently, attesting to the popularity of the play.
I Henry IV was entered in the Stationers’ Register on Februand published in the First Quarto in 1598. Shakespeare apparently realized the advantages of taking dramatic liberties with historical facts, sometimes to improve the story and sometimes to please the Queen. Elizabeth I was a direct descendent of Henry IV and Prince Hal ( Henry V) therefore, the plays which glorified her ancestors were quite popular with the Queen and her court. I Henry IV falls into the category of history plays.
