Enrico IV

play by Pirandello

Also known as: “Henry IV”

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Article History

Enrico IV, a tragedy in three acts by Luigi Pirandello, produced and published in 1922; it is sometimes translated as Henry IV. The theme of Enrico IV is madness, which lies just under the skin of ordinary life and is, perhaps, superior to ordinary life in its construction of a satisfying reality.

The play tells the story of a modern nobleman who, as a result of a fall from a horse 20 years earlier, believes himself to be the 11th-century Holy Roman emperor Henry IV. He lives in a castle, provided by his wealthy sister, where he is humoured by “courtiers” and others in period costume who help him maintain his illusion. A psychiatrist attempting to restore the nobleman’s sanity arranges for visits by Matilda (his former beloved), her daughter, and Henry’s rival in love.

In reality the nobleman is sane; he simply prefers the trappings of the Middle Ages to the horrifying modern world. He seals his fate by committing a crime that makes it necessary for him to spend the rest of his life feigning madness.

This article was most recently revised and updated by J.E. Luebering.