rac te Sh k .

as one of the gre ates t cha has created. a "tru e and perfect
~al sta tT is reg ard ed
oo m) Thi s artie l . . rs a csp
arg
care
um ents fo r this clai m.
ima ge of life " (Bl e examin es some of the
·
eates Characte r
Fa lst aff 's Rk h La ng ua ge Cr
the
ter on stage. is a lso eviden t in
:i his phy sica lly obe se charac
~a~ taf rs pr~ sen ce. apa rt_frongiv es a sen se of vita lity and exu ber ance.
rte nes s of his pro se. w hic h
he con siders the future of his
t to Kin g He nry 's ana lytica l a nd rhy thmic verse as
I~ con tras powerful:
on wit h Hal is sponta neo us and
kingdo m. Fa lsla ff's con versati
ions of the mo on· ... being
', gen tlem en ofthe sha de ', 'min
l et 11s be 'Di ana 's for esters tres s the mo on. under who se coun1e
na11ce we steal. ·
0 11r nob le and cha ste mis
go i·er ned... by
g of noble. her oic names
sag e mig ht be see n how thc seq uencin
Th e effe ctiv ene ss of this pas collapsing into rhe ant icli mactic
y bui lds up to the pow erfu l emble m of the moon. before
stro ngl
bee n des cribing the theft.
con c lus ion tha t Falsta ff has
on he lps to understand Mark Van
as a me ans of his charac terizati
Ta kin g Falsta ff's lan gua ge r e' s "ma ster y in tJ1e art of
ffw as evi den ce of Shakes pea
Oo ren 's state me nt tha t FaJ sta
ugh style of cre atin g men ".
unders tan ding sty le. and thro
an d Mimic
Fa lst aff Ac ts as Pla yw rig ht
se lf. but also in the imit_arion
sho ws its bril lian ce not only in articulating him mplify wh y
Falsta ffs lan gua ge
ne w here Hal and Fal staf f act out imagin ed dia logues exe
of o the rs. The hum oro us sce c genius".
f is "th e mo st inti ma te link bel wee n pla yw rig ht and com edi
to Ha rol d Blo om . Fals taf

lst aff as King He nry

Ha l Ac ts as Hi ms elf . an d Fa
m1ingly . '>"
es the orn ate rhe rori c of Joh n Lyly 'sEuf?heus. and cha
In this scene. Fal sta ff par odi d eat blackberries.
Hal : "Sh all the ble sse d sun of hea ven prove a n~1che~. an_
mo cks the king and wit h lighthearted
ive s from how he par odi es the reg alit y of royal fam ily
The humour der
scoldin g. ich is funny not
h· ff " vith virtue in his looks" wh Fa lsta ff uses his
Fal sta tfsi m~ ltan e~u sly eflcv
o ~
l ate t
1c o
rmr
es~ a
ls:: ;gn ;o~ fyin e: him self. but
• -
also ,;ow

onl y in the vis ual iron y

ow n w it.
ver bal bri llia nce to show lus
l as Ki ng He nry
Fa lst aff Ac ts as Ha l. an d Ha burning with anger
·est in ton e of Falstaff's, instead
. e bom bard of sac k. tJ1at ..
T. hi_s wo rds _lo:e ; he ~fF al~ taf fas "that hug here. it is
Wh en Ha l ins ults Falstat_
his g ros s im g f')'. . " This foreshadows tensions. but
and ma lici ous nes s. see n in vindicates him sel f
gut s. tha t roa sted Ma ~m ngt r~~ o~his conversati on. as he
stu ffed c loak-b ag of s the comedi c tou c l o
aga in Fal sta frs wit tha t re turn

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rou s ly an d
wh ich is bo th hu mo
mp Jac k. an d ba nis h all the world".
h plu
with the plea: "ba nis
iful. ls mo re
genuine ly pit me an s w he re h_e fil
s ab ou t str on gly from_act ing. It is a no r po sse ss.
Falstaff's identity hen
ce come t others do
the genu111e feel tha
cters than him sel f. paradoxically him
chara

s Fr eedo m
Fa lst af f Introduce re than hun~our.
Br ad ley po int s ou t tha t Falstaff'.is mo su rd um rs lo
lst aff cri tic A. C uc e a thm g ad ab
ln The Rejection ofFa sophisticated philo sop hy tha t "lo red
he sh ow s a mo re ing ."
Instead. e and rejoic
and to walk ab out fre
reduce ir tn no thing cu tti ng the m do wn
thr ou gh
ho w Fa lst a/T tra ns cends limitatio ns by s for the res t o f the
This might be interp
reted 10
do nis tic lif est yle wi th litt le co nc ern r:
ing his ow n he ide rin g fur the
humo ur. thus ma intain ay. are wo rth co ns
ese po ints. tak en from Bradley 's ess
world.. Th cte rs in the
e. altho ug h the chara
ma ke s sta tem en ts sw ea ring the y are tru s de scr ipt ion of be ing
• Truth - Falstaff for blatant lies. Hi
n rec og niz e the m co me dic va lue . an d
play and the audienc
e ca
led Ho tsp ur. arc hilarious for the ir
to ha ve kil
'robbed". or his claim frs dis regard for truth.
lsta
the ir ins ights into Fa tells Hal he
y. such as wh en he
mo ck s an d mi sin terprets Ch ristianit he do nis tic na rure. wh ich
• Re lig ion · Falst
aff
. As ide s fro m sh ow ing Fa lsra fr s s an d religi on is
cation ere nc e of Puritan
should work in his vo rel igi on. the mo ck ing ref
ple asu r~s lo
prefers current elfth Ni ght.
d 111 plays such as Tw
also a mo tif expresse af f
ive solilo qu y, Falst
ara cte ris tic all y ser ious an d conte mplat a ca tec his m. Ad mi rab le
• Honour - In an un
ch
?f ho ~o u~ as a "m ere sc rut ch eo n" in l po sit ion as a kn igh t.
lcssncss his so cia
con!emplat~s the us~ expression. hrs vre ws arc an irony of
m
for tis succmctncss mo st wo nd erf ul
rec ru itm en t me tho ds. pe rha ps the d ins tea d
F~ ls_t af rs d~bio us Fa lst af rs pis to l an
• ~a r- Aside from the mr dst of wa r. when Ha l ca lls for th ap pa lling ye t
rs bo
rnstanee of humour ha vio ur du rin g wa r.
111
of~ack_. Falstaff 's be tio n o f his rej ec tio
n of
~nsheathes a bo~le
~~~~or rise from death
ind ica
~~:1:~~~:~~::~:t~~:~:~:
. an

aff's Relevance
Considering Fa lst
.
nal chara ct bo '~ t~m1s of wisd om an d se ns e of
s many other fictiored
Falstaff. who surpasse nsi de on e of ers th rep res en tation s of
sel f-consciousness.
and mght be co st vrvrd_an d str ong
glish Literature ha s lo off er :h e m~ in a Sh ak es pe are an
human narure that En IV Pa rt I dcse . e_ver1_ ele ss. hrs rel ev an ce
am atr on .
History such as Henn•
- rvcs so me ex 111

all y
. ak . nc ern is to dra ma tic
Beginning wi th the assumplr un that a Sh esp ca rca n History's co

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chronicle a segment of history. there are a few instances where Falstaff might be considered
integral in Henry IV Part I.

Falstafrs Role as Representative of Common Folk

Falstaff acts as a foi l to King Henry. and their duality is representative of a contrast between their
two social classes. King Henry represents a court that is concerned about order and their mandate
to rule. while Falstaff represents a lord of misrule. caught up in reveling and entertainment. How
both of them exert a fatherly sort ofinOucncc on Hal leads to considering Hal's character
development to become a king.

Falstafrs Role in The Character Development of Hal

Henry IV Part I is taken from the period where King Henry IV"s power over England is waning.
and Hal is in progress to take over as king by Hem~• V. Falstaff might be considered part of his
education. which is necessary for his dcvelopmcnl prior to becoming king.

Critic Marjorie Garber observes that Hal is seen as a student of language: ' I am so good a
proficient in one quarter of an hour that I can drink with any tinker in his own language during
my life.' The rough prose that Hal masters is a synccdochc of a King's understanding of his
people in o rder to rule them well. harking back to lessons from Machiavelli ·s The Prince.

Therefore Hal. recognizing himself as a sun. only waiting for the right moment before he breaks
through ·the fou l and ugly mists /Of vapours that did seem to strangle'. might regard Falstaff as
an integral stepping stone to his own development.

Falstaff Renders the Rest of Henry IV Comparatively Irrelevant

While it might be acknowledged that Falstaff has a role to play to the dramatic conventions. the
depth of his~ . surpasses the rest of the characters and result in the paling of significance.
Harold Bloom is among those. that seeing Falstaff as the focus of Henry IV. gives the opinion
that the collective name of•Hcnriad· a misnomer: ·we do not need Henry V. and he docs not
need us.•

Falstaff's outshining presence might hence be seen as stifling the dramatization of characters
such as the conOict between Hal and Hotspur. Their rivalry should have been concluded when
Harry kills Hotspur. who rues the 'proud titles thou hast won of mc.'lnstcad. Falstaff comically
rises from apparent death. and promptly steals the show from both of them. insisting 'If your
father will do me any honour. so: if not. let him kill the next Percy himself.' This best represents
how Falstaff's drowns out of the other characters when he fills far more than what might be
expected.

Falstaff is Part of a Cast of Characters

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Perhaps ~ way to resolve

assump tion that a histo this a pparent _conflict
.
which weakens the
underst ood as a drama ~-~lay ,,5hould rightfull y focus on its period
I l a aocus for aesthetic value.
~I;~:is•t. ory.to re-examin e the
Instead. it might be

For Mark. van Doren .at Icast, lh e play has a

[Shak
. . ~s ~ p~ge_for Falstaff: ' nothing that
.. espeare ] wrote IS more crowded with lifegreater end then
or h
might be unders tood by examining He TV p app1cr I~ its imrtallon of human talk.' This
charact ers a re distinct. yet come togethdwithi:~h ~ ;::~~ c1rcumspec1jve view of
how all its

Marjorie Garbe r identifie d four different dramatic worlds within the play:

The Court, Repres e nted by King Henry

King Henry is a portraye d as a self-dou bting ruler. The play questions the legitimacy
and divine
mandate of his rule, hav ing grabbed it from Richard a. The apparent failure of Hal
to succeed
him leads him to "believe that thou art only marked/ For the hot vengeance and the
rod of
heaven/ To punish m y mistread ings."
Henry JV Part ( reaches an interim resolutio n. with King Henry's victory over Hotspur's
amiies,
and a lso sets the stage for the theme o f monarchy successio n in Henry rv Part II.

The Tavern , Repres ented by Falstaf f

. ti c la iven not only by his amou nt of stage lines
Falstaff 's role is integral to understand11~ 1 r
by~ ~ lso the depth ofhis.clw :arlrL-
and presenc e. which exceed the rest o ft e cas. u .

The countr yside, Repres ented by Jlotspu r . ihat Krng . '

"de resenting the idea
ks King Henry's monarchy_ frorndtheHco~n~~~t ch~~act,er is important in several
Hotspur a rtac . I id secure rule over his Ian s. o p
H e nry does not ,o a
aspects:
·s01 I successor
f-lotspu r•s ero1 " a brilliant fighter andporcrayc
wort iyd •·n a
ti r's tongue, . 1 ro'
·s "a son w ho is the theHrne of~;o;r;h t be seen as a ' Mdarlo:•:;1y1:s a polarity which he
J-fotspur t cs that otsP
to kir1gshiP - oar~er ar_gu ortantly ftrstl)' as contra;~ntofluence
Hal. an sec
that is Falstaff.
" i-n1ythic " hght. ,mp the other spectrum o
quas . "th bcrween
n1ust m ed ,ate w 1 . ·fcs havc debated the
e aking: man". and er• • ns his character as
Langu ag s "'he created spe . I nguagc strcngthe : vo scenes. rhe
v orcn conside~ s Hlo_tst::c ent. Reg~rdtc ss-j 1~s:. This is bCSI sc;7;;e;~ roseJAnd
J\l{ark Va~ rtance of has •~ ~•c w hat irnpauent an Richard, that swec
style and inipo s io nate. it so~ e vho has "put down
t,ot-blooded and p::against the king v
first w he re he rag

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 F I H e n ry Iv , P a rt 1 I F a ls.. .
F a ls ta ff I P D CJ •••
X sc ri b d .c o m
W C

. t
ge r at G ly w n d r s s pe ec h e s ab ou
or n. th is ca nk er " . le . a! 1d se co nd ly . in h i s an
pl an t th is thm he se es a s fi 1·• n~ o ru d io u s.
rn ag ic . w h o oo , s a nd te

W om en . . La dy P e r cy ca
n be
ar ac te r w h o h as a an d ~ •s in 1c ra c! i? ns w i thh ch ar ac te d -
h e o nl y ch a n in !~ dy ._ ra b1 ht y w hi c .;: p~ cs ~~ s~ ~~
H ot sp ur is t a~ by J ea n H ow ar d. as
ed . •c3 :t, on ° • vu l nc
re at er de pt h. in cl ud i ng a ~o
co ns id er . ng in g
iv cs a nd w om e n is w or th co ns i de ri
T he ro l e ofh"wer play s.
th os e in ot
ly nd w r
es en te d b y G as fu ll of
W al cs , R e pr · t of " h ca vc n w
of m ag ic in W al es •
· "
· at rn y bi rth/ Th e f"r on r;> ort ray in gr ea te r
m
es en ts a re alag es f" tl ke sp ea ~cht w ill
be in te re st in~ g bu t no t as· •
G ly y nd w r re pr ". ev ok in g im ~u'; '~ th at S ha 1g d G I d
fi er s h ap es . W ith i1 ~ ~ e ~~a~u~eo r:; ga · 11 s ap pe ar ance y1nis n ot a ro m a n ce yn w r s
s by Ae fac betlt . t th at th e p la od ds .
vi vi dn es ou w
· fi h h
co nf 11 ct s. G ar be r po in ts t s u gg es tiv e. o f th e fo ur
· I co t er s th e m os
5 •g n, , ca nt as th ou gh pe rh ap
aS t s tr es se d.
ro l e i s th e le
n ct- W or ld s ni c le hi st or y to
ach ie ve a
f F ou r D is ti en tio n al c hro
B le n d in g o ed s a co nv c p lac es an d
Pa rt r exce n to sp ec ifi en ts
o~ . H e nry I V e va ri ou s g r ou ps in r e la tio e be se en t o co ntai n el em
d ex pl a in s h t th he nc
Je an H ow ar '." bo u I ca n
be r. H en ry rv dy a nd ro 1n ance .
t1 r:i g Pa rt
ro gr ~p hy . wn
m o~ e _o fc h o or di ng to M a1 Jo ne G ar
c, el le s. A cc ge nr es of " co m ed y. tra ge m ic ro cos m of
so ak es pe ar ea n re b ec o n, ing a
of th e o th er Sh
d va rie ty . w it h th e th e at xt ap os iti on o tw or ld s.
te a se n se o f r ic hn es s an ni u l tip le p l ot s a nd th e ju so ci al an d ge og ra ph jc al
to c r ea T hro u gh ity an d
T he ef fe ct is ur ro un di ng s. n' lp le x te n1 po ra l sia 1u l ta ne
et y a n d t h e s
E nglis h so ci c r ea te s "t he i ll us io n of co
S ha ke sp ea re gl is h
W al te r C oh en
) ~i te r- in tJ:te En
og en ei ty . "( uc in g o n e of " th e g re at es t gr an d_ilo q u c nt
h et er .
ap s kn ow n bes t f"o r pr od of Ea rl? ' M od em En gl is h ha ns hi gh
rh ai c la ng ua ge ho as s ig n to th e El tz ab et
h an er a is pe ar e. T h e ar ch
T he E liz ab et w es sa nl y 1r ue .
ua ge : W ill ia m S h ak es peed so n, e rn od er n re ad er s. t hi s is no t n ec
l a ng . h as co nf us . H ow ev er .
i n n, od em t e
nn s en a,e nt
re of en lig ht ~ to da y o_r fo ot
b~ II
n a nd a c ul tu s n1 ov ie thca tc
so ph is tic at io n to a ra uc ou 0 d in
as n~or e ak i ~~ ~: •~ ; ~; } ~n
ar e· s da y. th e th ea tr e w ~: :n ~~ :;,ac". cea': i~ v;~ l)~ :1 e=
In S h ak es pc p.!3r ~~ pf" ~ret ~;
_c~ iv :c ~c a~ ~e
e th an thh e n ~w -h alt l o0 wf:d 1 . .
ga n1 er e as a 1o
ba se r te xt . t ba rd •s h an di w or k.
e im n, or ta l
th af f
ac te r F al st
S h ak es p ea re 's C h ar
V ic e in

re e
to re ad ad -f
D ow nl oa d

c: ::l ~
 not be a killer joke these
How was Desdemo na Like a Ship? Because she was moo red. It may
a hundred and fifty years ago it still might have caused a cautious chuckle. and four
days. but
a late-nigh t show opening monologue.
hundred years ago it would have been perfect for
, race. a nd other unsavory
While often overlooked now, a liberal number ofjo kes about sexuality
STl's. such as syphilis. as
topics could be found. Frequently references are made to wide-spread
well as the pleasure to be found in various fonns of vice.
found in a Shakesp eare play,
The c harac ter .Eals.!aff: who appears in multiple plays, or any clown
. serves as a foi l to the more
would frequentl y be a deviant for comic effect. Falstaff. for example
in plays such as " Henry IV Pt. I.•· and is describe d even by his friends in
noble characters seen
the last scene of act two as a demon in the fonn of an "old fat man."

of a heart attack and falls

While fellow Englishman arc dying in battle. Falstaff pretends to die
drinks. he lies. he sleeps the days away, and presume s he'll get a ni:e pot of gold by
down. He
a lso was one of Shakesp eare's most beloved and most
hanging on to the prince's coatta ils. He
ng characte rs. appearin g o r at least reference d in four plays, including 'The Merry
reoccurri
Wives of Windsor." in which he is the protagonist.
get in Elizabethan England.
If one wants to sec just how unsophis ticated the entertainment cou ld
however, only one Shakespe are play will suffice.
IV plays is Sir John
The most intriguing character in William Shakespeare's Henry
a likable characte r of ill repute. He is a drunkar d, a thief, a liar, and a
Falstaff. Falstaff is
humoro us. jovial, childish , and free living.
coward, but we love him, because he is also
behavio r become s so apprehe nsible that he is rejected . The rejection of
Eventually, his
First Part of Henry Fourth with the play
Sir John Falstaff by Prince Hal begins in The
scene, is fueled by Falstaff s misuse of the kings fund's and cowardice in the
acting
in the final scene of The
field, realized by Hal's acceptance of his father, and culminates
Second Part of Henry IV.

acting scene. Falstaff

The first sign that Hal is weary of Falstaff s behavio r is in the play
is making believe he is Prince Hal and the Prince plays
and Hal are play acting. Falstaff
and to drink it?
the King. The Prince states: wherein is he good . but to taste sack
cunning, but in craft?
wherein neat and cleanly, but to carve a capon and eat it? wherein
in all things? wherein worthy, but in
wherein crafty but in villainy? wherein villainous, but
nothing. (1H 4 2. 4. 455-459 )

sting company, Prince

In The film version of Henry IV, presented by the British Broadca
to Falstaff progres ses. Hal's facial
Hal becomes more serious as his speech
and vocal tone change; as if the speech he makes pretend ing to be his
expressions
s characte r (Henry IV). Falstaff seems to recognize
father enlightens him about Falstaff
Hal's attitude towards him is changin g. He tries to sway the Prince with his own
that
speech pitying himself.

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"Va lian t being old Jac

k Falstaff, banish not
Ha rry' s com pan y- ban him thy Ha rry 's com
ish plu mp Jac k. and pan y, ban ish not him
Prince answers · 1do, ban ish all the wo rld. thy
I will" (I H 4 2. 4. 481 (I H 4 2. 4. 472 -48 0)
Falstaff . Harold S. Go ) ind ica ting his inte nt Th e
dda rd agr ees. In his to eve ntu ally reJect
Goddard points out tha ess ay "Th e Me ani ng
t the play acting sce of Sh ake spe are,'
banishment to come ne is in a sen se a reh
(Goddard 206 -20 7). ear sal for the
pretends to be his fath Go dda rd sta tes abo
er and doe s ban ish ut Pri ~ce Ha l · no"." he.
fath er and will banish Fal sta ff. A little late r
him" (207). The pla y he "."'ll _bec om e hke
act ing sce ne Is the beg his
rejection. mm ng of Fal sta trs

The Prince ma y hav

e bee n enlightened to
certainly has not yet som e of the fau lts of
totally rejected him. Fal sta ff, but he
commission in the Kin The Prince, in fact, sec
g's arm y (1H 4 3.3. 186 ure s Fal sta ff a
representing the Kin ). Un fort una tely, Fal
g's arm y are cow ard sta ffs act ion s wh ile
funds. He accepts brib ly and unf org iva ble. Fal sta ff mis
es to keep me n out of use s the Kin g's
Falstaff states in his bat tle and hire s me n
soliloquy in 1H4 4.3 . wh o are wo rthl ess .
am a sous'd Gu me t. 11- 15, "If I not be ash
I hav e mis use d the Kin am'd of my sol die rs,
of a hundred and fifty gs fun ds dam nab ly. I
soldiers, three hundre I hav e got . in exc han
men Falstaff has hire d and od d pou nds ." The Pri ge
d states "I did nev er nce see ing the
Falstaff's answer "Tu see suc h pitiful ras cal
t, tut, good eno ugh to s" (1H 4 4.3 . 64).
will fill a pit as well as tos s, food for pow der
better" (1H4 4.3 . 65- , foo d for pow der; the
for powder" and in the 67). The me n Fal sta y
Battle of Shrew sbu ry ff has cho sen are "foo
states ·ar e for the tow onl y thre e will sur viv e and d
n's end, to beg for life" tho se Fal sta ff
the people can not be (1 H4 5.2. 38) . The Pri
happy with Fai st all' s nce bei ng a ma n of
Falstaff has only add act ion s and con tem
ed fuel to the Prince' pt for the com mo ns.
s vow in 1H4 2.4 . 481
"I wil l, ldo ."
Falstaff's repugnant
cowardice continues
Prince, having lost his furt her into the Bat tle of
weapon and tire d from Sh rew sbu ry. Th e
his swo rd. "W hat, sta battle, com es acr oss
nds thou idle here? Len Fal sta ff resting on
stark and stiff / und er d me thy / swo rd. / Ma
the hoofs of vaunting nya nob lem an lies
unreveng' d. I prithee ene mie s, / Wh ose dea
lend me I thy sword" ths are yet
refuses to lend Ha l his (1 H4 5.3 . 44- 47). Falstaff in
sword. Falstaff tell s the cla ssi c cow ard ice
my sword'. but take my Prince tha t if Per cy is
pistol, if thou wilt" (1 H4 aliv e "tho u get s not
and fin~s It to be a bot 5.3 . 50- 51 ). Th e Prin
tle of sack. He is qui ce gra bs the pistol
time to 1e~t and dally te ann oye d wit h Falsta
now" (1H4 5.3 . 55)? ff stating "Wh at, is it
be~_av1or Is shown when Ha l's ang er at Falstaff's irresponsi a
he takes the bottle of ble
exiting to re-enter the sack and throws it at
battle. A. C. Bradley Fal sta ff bef ore
claims Fal staff w~s not in his ess ay "Th e Re
a coward . Bradley sta jection of Fal sta ff'
fighting , Falstaff, inst tes that "When he saw
ead of making off m He nry and Ho tsp ur
be the victor. He led a pan ic, stayed to tak
his hundred and fifty e his chance if Ho tsp
did not send them" (10 ragamuffins where the ur
5). Bradley is wrong. y we re peppered he
the fight between Ha Fal sta ff ma de believ
l and Hotspur and wo e he wa s dea d d~r ing
Falstaff shows his true uld hav e continued to
col ors when he states do so had Ha l los t
which the better part "'the bet ter part of val
I have sav'd my life. or is discretion · in
though he be dead. Ho Zou nds , I am afraid
w 1f he should counte of this gun pow der P~
Falstaff. the coward, rfeit too and rise"(1 H4 rcy
is afraid of the dea d 5.4 . 119 -12 4)?
Per cy. Falstaff did lea
d his ragamuffins into

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 -■
-~

=~ ~~ d
~i: nov ~ve \ta :;~ ~en ~!~
battle, as Bra
hav e cho sen
dle
mo~
y
e
say s.
g_a
but
llan t
he
sol
_k new fully we ll the y :'s~
die rs. Kn<;>I the e:~ ~i5y:ill not
.
t
abl e to soc iali ze wit h suc h

The futu re 1ng c _

Falstaff's late r reiectIon. ter afte r his cor ona tion .
spo nsi ble cha rac
a cowardly, irre ~.
sta ff and his com p~n ion
Ha l's soc iali zin g wit h Fal
v the current Kin g det est s rms the Kin g tha t th_e P~i nce is in Lon don "wi th :oms,
ihe r, info
H;; Z;~ e the Prince's bro 4 4.4. 53). The Kin g Is not
hap py and sta tes
his con tinu al foll owe rs" (2H
;nd oth e;

soi l to we eds,
Mo st sub jec t is the fatt est
of my you th,
An d he, the nob le ima ge
therefore my grie f
Is ove rsp rea d with the m;
54- 58)
hou r of dea th. (2H 4 4.4.
Stretches itse lf bey ond the
wit h his rog ue frie nds . He_
tha t on his dea th bed Ha l cho ose s to be ut tal<mg
The Kin g is ups et ff wh en he ber ate s Ha l abo
p turn Ha l aga ins t Fal sta
use's his ang er later to hel
).
his cro wn (2H4 4.5. 92-135
his
oci atin g wit h Fal sta ff and
wisdom in you ng Ha l ass Lik e a stra nge
Wa rwi ck, how eve r, see s dy his com pan ion s I
t "The Pri nce dot h stu A. Tra ver si in An Ap pro
ach
com pan ion s he states tha ge" (2H 4 4.4. 68- 69). D.
rein to gai n the lan gua the pol itic ian s,
ton gue, whe the hum ani ty wh ich
t Fal sta ff rep res ent s "all is me rely
to Sha kes pea re notes tha see m bou nd to exc lud e" (30 ). The Pri nce
atta inm ent of suc ces s, blin d to his ow n
ben t on the his fath er. The Kin g,
at he cannot lea rn fro m in cla ss,
learning from Fal sta ff wh son's inte ntio ns. Wa rwi
ck, as we dis cus sed
s can not fore see his dic ts to the
short com ing n the King. Wa rwi ck pre
a mu ch bet ter und ers tan din g of the Pri nce tha ry / Sh all as a pat tern or
has mo
his foll ow ers , and the ir me g pas t evi ls to
Kin g tha t Hal will ·ca st off st me te the lives of other, I Tur nin
,/ by whi ch his Gra ce mu o he is, a fun
me asu re live of see ing Ha l for wh
78). Wa rwi ck is cap abl e
advantages"(2H4 4.4. 75- s wh en it his tim e.
me et his res pon sib ilitie
loving young ma n tha t will
find his
n. He late r aw ake ns to
Kin g rem ain s irat e des pite Wa rwi ck's exp lan atio Kin g dea d wh en he too k
The The Pri nce tho ugh t the
alo ng with the Prin ce. the Kin g 's
cro wn missing g upo n his retu rn to
cro wn and wa s dee ply upset. He sta tes to the Kin . 61 ). The Kin g bel iev es
the
er tho ugh t to hea r you spe ak aga in" (2H 4 4.5 t. / I sta y to
chamb ers "I nev Ha rry, to tha t tho ugh
nce had oth er inte ntio ns "Th y wis h wa s fath er, wa nts him dea d. so he
the Pri Kin g fee ls Hal
e" (2H 4 4 .5. 92- 94). The l an old
lon g by thee, I we ary the Ha l's mis tak e to giv e Ha
use s the opp ortu nity of tell s Ha l "Th y fife
can ~sc end the thro ne. He lec ture is pur e psy cho log y. He nry
son lec ture . The ii" (2H 4 4.5 . 105 _
f~sh1on~d fath er to die ass ur'd of
st_tho u_ lov dst me not , ( and tho u wil l hav e me lt to dis cip line his
did ma nife does; he use s gui
sam e thrng eve ry par ent is ask ing
106). He nry Is dorng the H4 4 .5. 109 )? He nry
ask s Ha l "ca nst tho u bea r me hal f an hou r"(2
son. He

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 hate me that much? The lecture, as we
could not you wait till I was dead? Do you really
pt to gain Hal's symp athy.
discussed in class, is full of irony in an attem
words. He has tears in his eyes and is
Hal is extre mely moved by his father's dying
tant for his past and curren t behavior in his reply:
completely repen

0, let me in my curren t wildness die,

And never live to show th' incredulous world

The noble change that I have purposed!

Coming lo look on you, thinking you dead,

... . (2H4 4.4. 151-156)
And dead almost, my liege, to think you were
with ii, as with an enem y/ Thal had before
Hal tells Henry that he wore the crown · to try
" (2H4 4.4. 166-1 67). The Prince 's reply to the King is the
my face murd ered my father
ff. He is his father's son and will bear the
turning point in Hal's relationship with Falsta
this point forwa rd in the play.
hono r of King admirably from
diately leaves for the Prince's coronation.
Falsta ff hears of Henry IV's demise and imme
him great honors and wealth. Falstaff is
He believes the new King will dispose upon
ted the wishes of his father and
unaware the Prince has rejected him and accep
Tolive r in his essay "Falstaff, The Prince, and the
responsibilities of a King. Harold E.
first time, of course, that Falstaff is aware
History Play", notes "the rejection scene is the
in court" (Toliver 150). Falstaff is surprised
that a tutor and feeder of riots is unwelcome
King, my Jove! I speak to thee my heart"
when the King responds to his shouts of · my
(2H4 5.5. 46)!

I Know thee not, old man . . .

When thou dost hear I am as I have been

Appro ach me, and thou shalt be as thou wast,

The tutor and feeder of my riots.

(2H4 5.5. 45, 60-63)
Till then I banish thee, on pain of death....
r comrades. He is King now and beyond
The King has severed all ties with his forme
not allow the young man once dubbed the
their approach. A King's responsibilities will
of Wales " (1 H4 4.1. 95) by Harry Hotsp ur, to associate
"nimble-foo ted madc ap Prince
with his forme r mento r, Falstaff.

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 Harold E. Tolliver believes the Ki .
~ge~~~
1
and his companions and now he ~:~~~:;~ ~io~:=rn ~~s~~i:ti1ti~ _Falstaff
1 1
howevE:r, was not acting, but merely enjoying life while he had a-cha~ce ~h; ~~~ce
was quite aware o!the strains of the crown. He proves so in 2H4 4.5. 158-159 when he
say,s of ~he _crown the ca~e on thee depending / Hath fed upon the body of my father "
Hals_reJ~ct1on of Falstaff 1s not the culmination of a great long acting ruse but· a ·
culi:111nat1o_n of all of Falst~ffs misdeeds, Henry IV's guilt ridden death bed,spe~ch and
Hals coming of age as King . '

The rejection was a necessary step in the Prince's elevation to King. Hal no longer can
be a follower; he has to be a leader. Falstaff was always the leader of his cohorts. Hal
was merely a member of Falstaff's troop, a student. King Hal is now the divine ruler of
all England and can no longer follow in the footsteps of a drunkard and a fool.

What makes portly Sir John so entertaining? How is it, when his actions would repulse many in
both a modern and medieval context. we find ourselves so attracted to this lying tub of lard?
Speculation over the years has produced many possible answers, one no more Likely than the
nex t. Whethe r or not the Queen of England truly requested Men)' Wit-es... for herself because
s he was so fond of the "huge hill of flesh" (Henry IV pt I, Hal. Tavern Scene). most do find some
sort of affectionate connection. Possibly his openness in his crimes, his lack of loyalty being so
apparent- essentially his frankness (not so much honesty) in life. and his grinning self-
determination, self observance.

At best. it can be said that Shakespeare's Falstaff reaches beyond merely ma_kin_g th~ audience
laug h. " He is aware that life is a charade" and is marked!y responsible for his s1tuat1on. H~ ~csets
our hearts. yea deeper still. to our di_aphra~m~. We arc his. He has been too great a humonsllc
character to forfeit all good impressions w1thm the length of one play.

- MacLeish. Kenneth. Longman Guide to Shakespeare ·s Characters. Harlow. England:

Lo ngman. 1986. pp87-88
. f H , 11 JV a natural portion of their structure. Yet
Falstaff is a centra l element Ill the two parts ok e II.I , ter whom we both laugh with and laugh
. to be mainly a fun-ma er. a c 1arac h f:
he does at hm~s seem I . has hel ed more to give this impression th_a~ t c at
at. and almost m the same breath. Not 1mg hiiF Even his name invites humor, as II is a sort of
knight's account of the double robbery at Gads, . . consumption of alcohol. Scholars also
. t b the characters excessive
pun on unpotencc. broug1l on y I h' If - Fall-Staff: Shake-Spear.
note the potential for a pun on the aut 1or nnse .
' racter development just as Hotspur's temperament is
Falstaff's character is necess~ry to Hals cha
necessary to his. F~lsta~s- w it humo~:d ::1~:~f . l antics are needed to develop Hal. _He_helps us
a11 types of character and personality 111 our
relate to Hal and his dee1s10_n. v:1e knd d p ·si~ns So it is also necessary for Hal.
. They influence our thmkmg an cc1 . .
I1ves. Vice and
. . d b the theatrical forerunners
The character of Falstaff seems to ha~e be:~~1::~:~1iaJe depth of character. Bc~eath F~:;ff's
miles gloriosus. but Falstaff has a ~rubquel.esquc an iconoclast. a philosopher. an a para .
h .s a Homenc ur ,
contagious panac he. e I

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8:46 <if!, d
····-- ,=,·- · ·- - ··-• --· - -·-·--- -·-- - --···,--• - ·· - -··--···-- ·- --r-· -· -·-·-- · -· · - - - --··· - -·--·· -
contagious panache. he is a Homeric burlesque. an iconoclast. a philosopher. and a paradox.

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Falstaff is hailed by Harold Bloom and other literary scholars as one of Shakespeare's greatest
creations. Falstaff is closely scrutinized because his character is a revolution on the stage; he
represents the transition from flamboyant. 'carnivalcsque' comedy to the modern. aesthetic
character. He's a point of' transcendcnt subjectivity'' from which we sec roots of the modern.
western human.

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