Sir John Falstaff is a character in Henry IV Part One written by William Shakespeare. He is used to break up the serious subject matter of the court and the rebels. He provides comedic relief, as his character is an overweight drunk who constantly makes jokes. He is, however, a highly debated character and people have many different opinions of him. Falstaff is overall a well liked and complex character. Two pieces of writing continuously praised Falstaff for his humor and consistency. Richard Wilbur wrote the poem “Up Jack” based on Act 5 scene 4 of Henry IV Part One. He discusses the emotions he and Hal feel when they see Falstaff supposedly dead on the ground and urges Falstaff to rise again. He praises Sir John, calling him “Great Falstaff” and saying he is “nature’s kindest earthy sun”. Wilbur also describes his …show more content…
Falstaff is meant to be a lighthearted character. His purpose in the play is to let the audience have a short break from the seriousness of the rest of the storyline. He is old but has a young soul and that draws people to his jokes and idiocracy. He spins dramatic stories and lies about what happened, letting the audience laugh at his obvious lies and the fact that he made the story depict the fat drunk as a hero. Shakespeare balanced the traits of Falstaff perfectly to conjoin the rebellion and troubles of the court with Falstaff’s humor, overall leading to a better play and a more memorable and happy experience for the audience. Falstaff is a character that can be thought of in many different ways. He can be humorous, a liar, or an idiot all depending on the perspective. He cracks jokes and lightens the storyline, lies about the ways things he experienced to make himself look better, or can be seen as just some idiotic drunk Hal is friends with. It will never be know what Shakespeare’s true meaning was behind the creation of Falstaff, but he is certainly a memorable character for any
In the play Henry VIII by Shakespeare, Cardinal Wolsey is facing a great hardship: he just lost his position as advisor to the king. To hi, this position meant a great deal and now he does not know what else life has in store. He has lost the one thing that made him truly happy. Shakespeare uses these elements and a dismal tone to convey to the reader the intense shame and embarrassment that Wolsey feels.
William Shakespeare is a renowned writer for his effectiveness in writing, which is hailed from crafting his pieces with various types of literary devices. Cardinal Wolsey's soliloquy after being fired in Shakespeare's Henry VIII is no different. Shakespeare uses allusion, figurative language, and a shifting tone to hone in the complex and passionate set of emotions Wolsey felt.
Falstaff’s blatantly honest soliloquy has provided the audience with a direct insight into his mind, and contrasts well with Hal and Hotspur’s speeches, in which their moral order and regard for honour is evident. Falstaff helps to show the change in Hal to the audience. Falstaff himself is no different to the Falstaff of Act 1, unlike Hal who has obviously undergone a great deal of change. Falstaff’s speech is highly typical of the tavern world’s way of thinking: straightforward, sometimes humorous, spoken in prose, and only the values of the tavern world taken into consideration, with no regard for such insubstantial, un-physical concepts as honour. In this way, and spoken directly to the audience, Falstaff effectively expresses his unashamed resolution not to submit to moral order.
one's eyes as time passes, but because it reigns the ebb and flow of the tides.
Humans are addicted to judging others on their first impression. Humans will never read into the book, they just look at the cover. Many people, both fictional and nonfictional can not be judged until you study them. Someone who first appears to be only comic relief, could end up to be a very important character. Sir John Falstaff is but one of these people. Falstaff's righteousness hides under his vocalization. John Falstaff's character is hard to understand without analyzing his words. He loves to play games with his speech. Falstaff tricks his audience with complex words and phrases. Often John would win over his opponent by tricking them into saying things that they did not mean or getting them to think that he is not that bad. Falstaff said this in Part I act II scene IV. "... A question not to be asked. Shall the son of England prove a thief and take purses? A question to be asked. There is a thing, Harry, which thou hast often heard of, and it is known to many in our land by the name of pitch. This pitch, as ancient writers do report, doth defile; so doth the company thou keepest. For, Harry, now I do not speak to thee in drink, but in tears; not in pleasure, but in passion; not in words only, but in woes also; and yet there is a virtuous man whom I have often noted in thy company, but I know not his name." In this passage, the Prince and Fastaff trade places in speech and try to make the other look dumb. Fastaff later goes on to say that this wonderful person that the King is talking about. The way Falstaff does this proves him to be very keen. He proves that even though he may look dumb, he will still put up a good fight. Falstaff is very bold about his thoughts and opinions. He stands out because he is not afraid to think his own way. While most people agree, because of the other people around them, Falstaff chooses to make his own decisions and think for himself. This is proven when Falstaff and the prince switch places in a verbal fight. Every one else in the book thinks of the Prince as a perfect young man because he is the prince, however Falstaff is too smart for this, he points out that the prince is a thief.
The first influence that Shakespeare illustrates over Prince Hal is that of Falstaff, a fat old man who seems to spend his life in seedy taverns accruing massive amounts of debt. From his devious scheme to rob unknowing travelers at the beginning of the story to his diatribe on what honor is not, it is clear that Falstaff has a very distinct notion of his own personal honor, and he seems to be trying to project that same notion onto Hal; however, as Hal becomes closer to his father, Falstaff's honor becomes less appealing. Falstaff treats Hal and King Henry IV to his own personal code of honor-or lack thereof:
the lower class people. Falstaff did not hold the same view of honor as any
He is accepted for his faults and further appreciated for his humor. Once receptive to Falstaff’s follies, an underlying wisdom can be found. Shakespeare offers Falstaff as a guide to living beyond the confines of convention, out of all the order. Disguised in banter, Falstaff calls into question values of morality and nobility. His manner is harmless in both words and actions. Of all the loyalty and disloyalty that incites political turbulence in the play, Falstaff remains inert. He does not enact any cruel aggression in effort to achieve power. Nevertheless, Falstaff commits slight though significant transgressions against Prince Hal and aristocratic values. These transgressions begin in conversation and eventually result in Falstaff’s action on the
Falstaff’s honor speech does not imply cowardice, rather it exemplifies the contrast between himself and King Henry IV. In King Henry IV part one, act 5, Fallstaff explains why honor is not an ideal he strives for. He says that honor drives him to battle and asks, if he dies for honor, what is the reward? Honor will not assist him if he is wounded, it is nothing but air, a word. It is only achievable through death, and it is useless to the dead. Therefore, in the upcoming battle Falstaff will not, as characters in heroic plays had done for centuries, sacrifice himself for love of country. He will instead look out for his own self interest, and attempt to earn acclaim from the actions of others.
He is happy being a drunkard and someone who indulges what he wants. But he also realizes that it is not the type of life that a prince, or a king, should associate himself with, which leads him to his pleading—another reason the scene is prophetic. He pleads with Henry about his morality, much like he will do later in the play and in Henry IV: Part II. Though the play extempore is supposed to prepare Henry for his encounter with his father. Falstaff realizes it may be a good time to practice the inevitable encounter that he will have with Hal once he becomes king. This argument can be further developed when one realizes that it was Falstaff that called for the play extempore, not Hal. Falstaff knew he wanted a trial run before Hal’s kingship, so he gave himself one. However, Hal’s only reaction to Falstaff’s final speech is his line, “I do, I will” (2.4. 465). Some may take this as his answer to Falstaff that he will pardon him, and continue to be his friend. But the argument could be made that Hal is saying that line more to himself than to Falstaff. He is saying that he will do what’s necessary to be a good king. That he does have what it takes to leave a life he enjoys for a life of
Falstaff is a central element in the two parts of Henry IV, he is supports the structure of the play. Yet he does seem to be a mainly fun maker, a character whom we laugh with and laugh at. The perfect example for this was the fat knight's account of the double robbery at Gadshill. The part of plump Jack is joyously expanded and diversified, for the delight of men and the glory of, Shakespeare. It is plain that the role of Sir John is not restricted to what is indispensable to Shakespeare's main purpose. Falstaff lies at the very foundation of these plays, that it is a structural necessity.
William Shakespeare has become landmark in English literature. One must be familiar with the early days of English literature in order to comprehend the foundation of much of more modern literature’s basis. Shakespeare’s modern influence is still seen clearly in many ways. The success of Shakespeare’s works helped to set the example for the development of modern dramas and plays. He is also acknowledged for being one of the first writers to use any modern prose in his writings.
The relationship between a father and his son is an important theme in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part One, as it relates to the two main characters of the play, Prince Hal and Hotspur. These two characters, considered as youths and future rulers to the reader, are exposed to father-figures whose actions will influence their actions in later years. Both characters have two such father-figures; Henry IV and Falstaff for Prince Hal, and the Earl of Northumberland and the Earl of Worcester for Hotspur. Both father-figures for Hal and Hotspur have obvious good and bad connotations in their influence on the character. For example, Falstaff, in his drinking and reveling, is clearly a poor influence for a future ruler such as Prince Hal, and Worcester, who shares Hotspur's temper, encourages Hotspur to make rash decisions. The entire plot of the play is based on which father-figure these characters choose to follow: had they chosen the other, the outcome would have been wholly different.
William Shakespeare, poet and playwright, utilized humor and irony as he developed specific language for his plays, thereby influencing literature forever. “Shakespeare became popular in the eighteenth century” (Epstein 8). He was the best all around. “Shakespeare was a classic” (8). William Shakespeare is a very known and popular man that has many works, techniques and ways. Shakespeare is the writer of many famous works of literature. His comedies include humor while his plays and poems include irony. Shakespeare sets himself apart by using his own language and word choice. Shakespeare uses certain types of allusions that people always remember, as in the phrase from Romeo and Juliet, “star-crossed lovers”.
The physical description of the Squire illustrates him as if he was a Roman statue, or taken from a chivalric romance. Chaucer describes his " lokkes crulle as they were leyd in presse"(Norton, 83), average height, great strength, "Of twenty yeer of age he was" (Norton, 83), bravery and cleverness. The author illustrates Squire's youth "as fressh as is the month of may." (Norton, 83). The dress of the squire is colorful, embroidered with flowers, short with large sleeves. He is very talented, too. Chaucer dedicates some lines in the poem to the squire's skills - horsemanship, jousting, sketching, dancing, song and verse writing: "Wel koude he sitte on hors and faire ryde./ He koude songes make and wel endite,/ Juste and eek daunce, and weel purtreye and write." (Norton, 83).