The plot of the play is based on the struggle of King Henry IV with former allies. The Earl of Northumberland and his influential relatives, to whom the king owes a great deal to the throne, are not satisfied with their position under the new government and are rebelling. In addition to political troubles, Henry IV is tormented by problems of a personal nature: his heir Henry leads a hectic life, spending time in the company of the dissolute fat man Sir John Falstaff and his drinking companions...