Falstaff’s Character in Henry IV

Sir John Falstaff is a character that played a critical part in the Shakespeare Henry IV Part 1.Falstaff portrayed both a brutal and harsh side of life. This was essential because all other main characters in this play like Falstaff were Nobles. Apart from Falstaff, all the other nobles in this play acted as nobles. On the other hand, it is Falstaff who acted more like lower class people. By doing this, he portrayed feelings and thoughts by the lower class of people. Falstaff made the reader to think by portraying lower class people. The reason for this was that Falstaff contrasted himself well with the nobles bringing out some new aspects of themes.  Some of the views that Falstaff brought out were rather harsh in comparison to accepted views of time. Falstaff was so good natures and made the reader to laugh helping to balance harshness of his views.

Falstaff’s Character in Henry IV

Falstaff lived a harsh life. The severity of this life contributed to his ideas and views.  His views reflected those of lower class people although he happened to be a noble. Falstaff did not have same view of honor with any of other main characters in the book. Honor to Falstaff was just a word that had nothing worth dying for. Some characters in this novel sought their honor through battle.  On the plus side, Falstaff felt war to be just a place for to have fun. He showed this by allowing himself to be paid by upper classmen and took thieves and prisoners to be killed during the battle. Falstaff knew they were just going to be killed and how it was not worth to have men who had a future to be killed. He rather led men with no life to a battle to get killed. Additionally, Falstaff had   different view to loyalty than all the other nobles. The feeling of these nobles was that one must be loyal to everyone. Falstaff felt that someone should only be loyal to other thieves.

Falstaff’s Character in Henry IV

Falstaff was well versed and also an excellent talker. He articulated his thoughts through his play.  It is in the play that Falstaff presented many harsh and realistic ideas. These ideas balanced well with his good nature. Falstaff, a sad character invoked deep emotions in readers. Since the views of Falstaff appealed to thoughts of the reader by their contrast to views of other nobles and since it is pain that was used for balancing his views, he invoked “thoughtful sadness” in readers. This was an essential quality in various literary works Henry IV Part 1 included.