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Falstaff's Role in Henry IV, Part One Essay

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Falstaff's Role in Henry IV, Part One

Henry IV, Part One, has always been one of the most popular of

Shakespeare's plays, maybe because of Falstaff. Much of the early criticism

I found concentrated on Falstaff and so will I. This may begin in the

eighteenth century with Samuel Johnson. For Johnson, the Prince is a "young

man of great abilities and violent passions," and Hotspur is a "rugged

soldier," but "Falstaff, unimitated, unimitable Falstaff, how shall I

describe thee? Thou compound of sense and vice . . . a character loaded

with faults, and with faults which produce contempt . . . a thief, a

glutton, a coward, and a boaster, always ready to cheat the weak and prey

upon the poor; to …show more content…

No one can deny that he is

in fact a glutton and a thief. A coward is debatable. I choose to think he

is. He is self centered and cares only for his own profit and enjoyment. He

will protect himself at all costs including playing " possum" if necessary

to avoid injury. When he misuses the money intended to buy troops and

weapons, he turns it into profit for himself. Once again, with no concern

for anyone else, he potentially jeopardizes the troops, the battle and the

kingdom with substandard men and materials while making money for himself.

It makes the reader question, what kind of friend is he to Hal that he

would misuse the trust that has been given him. All the easier for Hal to

ultimately recognize that this is not the kind of person or people he wants

to associate himself with, let alone approve of.

Johnson's second assumption that you can detach Falstaff's frivolity

from the real drama is in fact true, but what would you have left? A less

interesting, less amusing drama with only one main plot. Falstaff is of

paramount importance to the sub-plot dealing with Hal's decision between

continuing his carefree life style or maturing into the role he is destined

to play as a respected prince and later king. This story would be pretty

dull if Hal didn't have to choose between an entertaining life like

Falstaff's or an honorable one as a gallant warrior and respected

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