Though ’s antics are humorous, his significance in Henry IV, Part I extends beyond comic relief. Discuss.

Henry IV Part 1 is one of Shakespeare’s most popular historical plays in a series chronicling England’s turbulent monarchy from the outset of the 15th century. While it is primarily concerned with the reign of King Henry IV, the play is arguably more about Prince Hal and his companions, the most conspicuous of which is Sir Jack Falstaff. Despite possessing the title of a knight, Falstaff is, by far and large, a comic character who spends the majority of his time in the Eastcheap tavern, beguiling Prince Hal and his other companions with his quick wit and charismatic humour. However, the role he plays in Henry IV Part 1 is much larger than this, as Falstaff is also established as a ‘villanous…misleader of youth’ who Prince Hal must learn to extinguish from his presence in order to assume roles of great responsibility. Finally, Falstaff is also used by Shakespeare to present an alternative viewpoint on the recurring theme of honour.

Regardless of his other characteristics and roles he plays in Henry IV Part 1, the most prominent and consistent feature of the character of Falstaff is his humour and wit, which forms the basis of the relationship between him and Prince Hal. Initially, Shakespeare invites the audience to laugh at Falstaff, especially at his physical characteristics and his indulgent lifestyle, which premise many of Prince Hal’s linguistic assaults. Seldom can the prince resist from commenting that Falstaff is ‘gross as a mountain’ or that he is ‘fat-witted with drinking of old sack’. However, it is Falstaff’s tenacious ability to argue his way out of situations and to turn other people’s words to his advantage that become his trademark as a rhetorician and make him endearing to not only Prince Hal and the inhabitants of the tavern, but also, to an extent, to the audience of the play. Even though Falstaff speaks almost exclusively in prose, contrasting with the verse that is spoken by those of the royal court, he is able to weave an endless amount of puns, metaphors and wit that gives his humour an element of charisma and liveliness that contradicts his physical health. These elements of Falstaff’s character allow him to play the role of, at least, a friend and, at most, a surrogate father to Prince Hal as their relationship mirrors one of a mentor and a protégé as Prince Hal learns to duplicate the wit found in his mentor. Battles of rhetoric between Prince Hal and Falstaff recur throughout the earlier stages of the play and cement Falstaff’s role as a comic character, but this is not all he amounts to be in the context of the play.

Because the play is centred on kingship and the royal right to rule, Falstaff also serves the role of providing a corrupt influence that is to be overcome by the eventual heir to the throne. Prince Hal and Falstaff, while initially spending the majority of their time at the tavern, both vow to change their lifestyle and ‘give over this life’; but while Prince Hal progresses and matures into a great military leader, Falstaff remains as selfish and indulgent as he initially is. Despite his charismatic humour and quick wit, the hedonistic and self-indulgent lifestyle that Falstaff leads ultimately makes him incompatible with Prince Hal and represents the proverbial bad influence that negatively impacts Prince Hal’s character. Surprisingly, Prince Hal is fully aware of this, as he states in his soliloquy about his plans to ‘redeem [himself] when men think least [he] will’; and even though he says it in jest, Prince Hal admits that Falstaff is ‘that reverend Vice, that grey Iniquity, that Father ruffian, that Vanity in years’. Due to his inability to transcend his own selfish desires, Falstaff is representative of decadent behaviour that can erode the social order and, therefore, it is inevitable that his and Prince Hal’s paths will diverge and that Prince Hal must ‘banish plump Jack’ from his life. Falstaff is acutely aware of this tendency in Prince Hal and he uses his wit to try and avoid this and dismiss the notion that he is of a corrupting nature. However, Prince Hal’s ability to forego his indulgent lifestyle, represented by him distancing himself from the ‘fat rogue’, allows his ‘reformation’ to be as impactful and impressive as he intended it to be.

In the latter stages of the play, Falstaff is also presented as a counter to both Prince Hal and Hotspur in terms of their differing views of honour. While Prince Hal and Hotspur are more concerned with pursuing honour to further their reputations as great military leaders, Falstaff views honour as a meaningless justification for war and for death and, thereby, distances himself from the concept. In accordance with his indulgent and selfish nature, Falstaff values his life over anything else and because honour threatens the sanctity of his life, he dismisses it as simply ‘air…a mere scutcheon’. This is demonstrated by his decision to lay dead and ‘save [his] life’ at the Battle of Shrewbury rather than fight for his kingdom, as his counterpart Prince Hal does so valiantly. Falstaff’s conniving to avoid participation in the battle and his desire to ‘give [him] life’ starkly contrasts with the more valiant notions of honour that the noble characters in the play possess. While arguably cowardly, Falstaff’s dismissal of honour could be seen as representing an earthly and realistic appeal to the audience that highlights the brutal realities of war. As he passes the corpse of Sir Water Blount, Falstaff muses ‘Sir . There’s honour for you’ stressing his point that despite its ability to grant one military praise, honour is likely to ‘prick [one] off’, in other words, result in one’s death, as it later does for ‘gallant Hotspur’.

While Prince Hal is the most important of the characters in Henry IV Part 1, some say that there is none more memorable than Sir Jack Falstaff. While this claim hinges strongly on his unfailing wit and his distinctively verbose humour, Falstaff also plays more than just a comic character. He serves as an adverse companion to the future King who must be let go of this rogue in order for the ‘heir apparent’ to assume his role of great responsibility. However, Falstaff is also able to present an alternative view on honour that adds depth to the plot of the play and a humanistic element to the play’s exploration of political and military affairs.