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 terrify the timorous and insult the defenceless . . . his wit is
not of the splendid or ambitious kind, but consists in easy escapes and sallies
of levity [yet] he is stained with no enormous or sanguinary crimes, so that
his licentiousness is not so offensive but that it may be borne for his
mirth."
Johnson makes three assumptions in his
reading of the play:
1. That Falstaff is the kind of character
who invites a moral judgment mainly that he can answer to the charge of being a
coward.
2. That you (the reader) can detach
Falstaff's frivolity from the play and it can exist for its own sake apart from
the major theme of the drama.
3. That the play is really about the fate
of the kingdom, and that you (the reader) do not connect Falstaff's scenes with
the main action. This means that the play has no real unity.
Starting with Johnson's first assumption,
I do agree with this. Any discussion of Falstaff is bound to include a
judgement about his moral character. Is he a coward, a thief, a glutton? 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 leader.
Johnson's last assumption that the
"Falstaff" scenes have nothing to do with the main action is
incorrect if you agree that this sub-plot is necessary for an engaging drama.
In Act 2, Scene 4, after Hal says, while role playing as the King with
Falstaff, "That villainous abominable misleader of youth, Falstaff, that
old white-bearded Satan". Falstaff, as Hal, tries to reason, "No, my
good lord, banish Peto, banish Bardolph, banish Poins, but for sweet Jack
Falstaff, kind Jack Falstaff, true Jack Falstaff, valiant Jack Falstaff, and
therefore more valiant, being as he is old Jack Falstaff, banish not him thy
Harry's company, banish him not thy Harry's company; banish plump Jack, and
banish all the world". Hal, again as the King, says, "I do, I
will". He indicates that after becoming king he would choose to rid the
kingdom of people the likes of Falstaff. He is indicating that he has chosen
the path for his life and made his own moral judgement on Falstaff. This scene
and therefore Falstaff's very being are significant to show Hal's evolution
into a "true" prince.
Falstaff's character is necessary to Hal's
character development just as Hotspur's temperament is necessary to his.
Falstaff's wit, humor and amusing antics are needed to develop Hal. He helps us
relate to Hal and his decision. We know people of all types of character and
personality in our lives. They influence our thinking and decisions. So it is
also necessary for Hal.
Wether Falstaff
is only a coward and glutton, or a person who has an "amusing" way of
expressing his deeply felt personal and political beliefs is a matter of
individual interpretation. I am not sure that it really matters as long as it
contributes to Hal's maturing process, and it does.
In conclusion, every age of man has and
will continue to judge Falstaff's role based on the morals and the thinking of
the day. His frivolity is necessary to make the play amusing and interesting
enough to hold the reader's/viewer's attention. However, that Falstaff's scenes
are needed should go without question leaving the critics and us only to debate
his motivation and his tactics.
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