Fallstaff Friend of Fatherfigure

A detailed Summary of Fallstaff Friend of Fatherfigure

When studying the characters of Shakespeare's Henry IV, one can not help but observe Falstaff. Falstaff is considered by many to be one of the greatest comic inventions ever. Critics have called Falstaff everything ranging from a buffoon to "an instance of the predominance of intellectual power" (Coleridge cited in Hemingway 418). He is by far one of the most dynamic characters ever constructed by Shakespeare. Yet, "the question persists, 'wherein is Falstaff good, but to taste sack and drink it? ... Wherein worthy, but in nothing?'" states Charlton (cited in Hemingway 446). Falstaff's main purpose in the play is to provide the audience a character to laugh at, in what would be - with the absence of Falstaff - an extremely serious historical play. His grotesque bodily features and his constant yearn for sack tends to add to the comedy of his constant lies and allusions. Schlegel states, "His contemptible qualities are not disguised: old, lecherous, dissolute; corpulent beyond measure; constantly in debt and unscrupulous in the choice of means for procuring money; a cowardly soldier, and a lying braggart; a flatterer to the face, and a satirist behind the backs of his friends; - and ye

So, is Falstaff a friend or a father figure to Prince Hal? It really depends on whose eyes you are viewing it from. If you were viewing it from Hal's eyes, Falstaff would be nothing but a disposable friend that is good for a laugh or two when you are bored. If you are viewing it from Falstaff's point of view, Falstaff is a kindhearted man who tries to benefit young Hal by showing him the better things of life. Even though there is evidence of Hal using Falstaff for a short-term friend, there is more logic in saying that Falstaff did play the role of a father to Hal, thus having a positive influence on Hal's life. In return, Falstaff also benefited from his relationship with Hal by gaining prestige and having a friend to share his days with. J. Dover Wilson sums up Falstaff best by saying, "He is an emancipated spirit, free of all the conventions, codes, and moral ties that enwrap us ... What we chiefly admire him for is his abounding vitality. Falstaff is more than man; he is, like all great mythological figures, the incarnation of a principle of the universe. He is the Joy of Life, exuberant, intoxicating, and irrepressible." (cited in Hemingway 439)

Hal is definitely attracted to Falstaff's quick wit and loathsome ways. Hal's attraction to Falstaff may best be described by Schlegel's interpretation of Falstaff - "he is an admirable companion for youthful idleness and levity. Under a helpless exterior, he conceals an extremely acute mind ... He is so convinced that the part which he plays can only pass under the cloak of wit, that even when alone he is neve

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Approximate Word count = 1066
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English