Volume 17. Historical drama in two parts. Bolingbroke, now King Henry IV, is plagued by guilt over the murder of Richard II and by the fear and distrust of the usurper. Two major conspiracies threaten his reign, each forming the core of the action in the two parts of the play. Initially, Northumberland's son, the young Henry Percy, leads a group of rebels who openly confront the king in war. Before the battle, a confrontation occurs between the king and his son, Prince Henry. In Percy, the hot-headed, impulsive, wild yet chivalrous young man, the king sees a positive contrast to his son, who prefers to associate with disreputable company, particularly the dissolute knight Sir John Falstaff. Prince Henry.