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Bernard Ollila February 17, 2009

Similarities Between Falstaff and Thersites: Criteria of a Renegade

William Shakespeare‟s Henry IV, Part One and Homer‟s Iliad parallel one another in the sense that each plot is driven by confrontation and war. What makes these works even more similar is that within each there are rebellious characters who not only stand in direct opposition to the conflicts in which they find themselves, but also exhibit their opposition verbally. The characters in question are Shakespeare‟s Falstaff, and Homer‟s Thersites. They are, in essence, the renegades of each story. But to simply use their verbal articulations of their opinions would not be sufficient enough evidence to place the renegade label on them. Reflecting on the physical appearance of each, both Falstaff and Thersites fall short of the glorious archetypes of honor that are manifested in the form of each story‟s protagonist. Moreover, each character has a particular cowardice bestowed upon them by their authors that separates them from the other characters. In each work, the renegade is an inferior being with an opinion that contrasts the central motivation of the rest of the characters and interrupts the flow of the plot to make note of what the renegade sees as the shortcomings of each protagonist. These things correspond with one another to form a rebellious identity. Thus, it is the physical appearance, the way in which the author presents them, and the outright verbal communication of opposition that makes Shakespeare‟s Falstaff and Homer‟s Thersites renegades.

Our immediate introductions to both Falstaff and Thersites are starkly similar in that with each case, we are presented with a physically inferior being who is almost dehumanized by the description rendered upon him by the author. For Homer, Thersites stands among a fleet of obedient soldiers, whose physical attributes are neither admirable enough, nor undesirable enough to warrant an acknowledgment. Thersites, though, is different; and, he is depicted in a manner meant to reflect his attitude, which he voices shortly following his description.

“He was the ugliest man of all those that came before Troy- bandy-legged, lame

of one foot, with his two shoulders rounded and hunched over his chest. His head

ran up to a point, but there was little hair on the top of it.” (Homer)

From our introduction to him, Thersites is separated from the rest of the soldiers in his appearance.

Like Thersites, Falstaff is initially presented as a lesser being, whose inferiority is so essential to his character that it must be made obvious from our introduction to him. Prince Hal relays this information to the audience. He tells us that Falstaff is an overweight, whore-chasing drunkard with no business engaging in any activity besides those which had created the identity

Hal has given him.

PRINCE. Thou art so fat-witted with drinking of old sack, and unbuttoning thee

after supper. and sleeping upon benches after noon, that thou had forgotten to

demand that truly which thou wouldest truly know...Unless hours were cups of

sack, and minutes capons, and clocks the tongues of bawds, and dials the signs of

leaping houses, and the blessed sun himself a fair hot wench in flame-colored

taffeta, I see no reason why thou shouldst be so superfluous to demand the time of

the day. (1.2.2-10)

These multiple lines of insults and degradation are a response to a question Falstaff asked regarding the time of day. He is so vile and utterly repulsive that the Prince doesn‟t even think he deserves to know the time, because it is not a whore, food, or alcoholic beverage - the things that

Falstaff usually concerns himself with. Ollila 3

In cooperation with the foremost introductions of each character, there is a resonating cowardice associated with each. This cowardice is indirectly proposed to the audience in both works. Homer does so subliminally with Thersites. Upon hearing of an impending retreat, a series of occurrences prompts Ulysses to parade through the Greek army, proclaiming the idea of retreat to be a terrible deviance from their course of rectitude. “„This flight is cowardly and unworthy. Stand to your post, and bid your people also keep their places. You do not yet know the full mind of Agamemnon,‟” (Homer). Ulysses bases his claim on the fact that the Greek army does not know the full intentions of Agamemnon, and that their ignorance should not spark in them an inspiration to retreat back to Greece.

In true rebellious fashion, one man maintains that retreat is the best option, because the spoils of the labors of the men, and the true pains of the war are felt not by the man who reaps the benefits, that man being Agamemnon. Thersites is the man who maintains this when he says:

“Agamemnon,‟ he cried, “what ails you now, and what more do you want? Your

tents are filled with bronze and with fair women, for whenever we take a town we

give you the pick of them. Would you have yet more gold, which some Trojan is

to give you as a ransom for his son, when I or another Achaean has taken him

prisoner? Or is it some young girl to hide and lie with? It is not well that you, the

ruler of the Achaeans, should bring them into such misery. Weakling cowards,

women rather than men, let us sail home, and leave this fellow here at Troy to

stew in his own meeds of honour, and discover whether we were of any service to him or

no.” (Homer)

This excerpt of Thersites‟ words, like his appearance, differs greatly from the opinions and stances on the issue held by the other Greeks. Following this, Ulysses beats him, scolds him, and makes him cry. The other men express their appreciation for Ulysses actions, and their disgust with what Thersites says. Ulysses had already established that retreat signified cowardice and unworthiness, and the men agreed. However, Thersites did not, and voiced what he thought.

Though he was punished, and what he did ultimately brought about no meaningful change, he still rebelled.

Ulysses had established that retreat was cowardly, and Thersites did not interpret that to be of any importance to the matter at hand: ending the war for the soldiers. Thersites saw the best option to be retreat. He did not hold victory over Troy to be for overall good. As Thersites treated retreat, Falstaff treats honor. Falstaff sees honor, which is what the war he finds himself in to be centered around, to hold no major importance in the ultimate goal of his life: to live, happily. He asserts that honor brings about death.

FALSTAFF. What is that honor? Air - a trim reckoning! Who hath it? He that died a

Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. „Tis insensible then? Yea, to the

dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why Detraction will not

suffer it. Therefore I‟ll none of it. Honor is a mere scutcheon - and so ends my

catechism. (5.1.135-141)

Falstaff completely dismantles honor here. The war comes about through Hotspur feeling that

King Henry dishonored his family, and it is that honor which he aims to redeem. But, Falstaff‟s conception of honor renders it an intangible idea that holds no real sway, and does not matter. As

Falstaff‟s war is about honor, which brings death, Thersites‟ war is about a fruitless conquest that benefits only one man.

Both Thersites and Falstaff are doubtless rebellious. But, the criteria that they both share which constitutes the renegade is their physical separation from the rest of the characters, the Ollila 5 moral separation, and their cowardice. Thersites is an unsightly, monstrous deformity, and

Falstaff, likewise, is a fat gluttonous drunkard. Thersites holds that the Greeks should stop fighting the Trojan war because it only benefits Agamemnon, and Falstaff holds that the principal of honor which the war he finds himself in is based upon does not actually benefit anyone. There is no bravery exhibited by either except in that they speak against what the presumed brave men in each story fight for. They both appear out of their element, as a mutant like Thersites and a heathen like Falstaff do not belong in war. Thus, Thersites and Falstaff are greatly similar. Furthermore, it is the similarities between them that make them renegades.

Works Cited

Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Samuel Butler. 1994. MIT. 16 Feb. 2009. Http://classics.mit.edu/

Homer/iliad.2.ii.html.

Shakespeare, William. Henry IV, Part One. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York: Penguin, 1998.