Whither Falstaff?
As I previously mentioned, the popular character of John (or Jack) Falstaff from King Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 was not an historical figure but was based on at least two different people, Sir John Fastolf and Sir John Oldcastle. But just who were they?
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| Eduard von Grützner: Falstaff mit großer Weinkanne und Becher (1896) (Falstaff with big wine jar and cup, 1896) (via wikipedia) |
Sir John Oldcastle
Sir John Oldcastle was a friend of Henry V and a famed English Lollard who long escaped prosecution for heresy because of his royal connections. Eventually though, he was brought to trial and executed for his Lollardy beliefs in 1417. It is believed that William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham and a direct descendant of Oldcastle, opposed Shakespeare's characterization of his relative and blocked him from using the name in his plays. In the published version of Henry IV, Part 1, Falstaff's name is always unmetrical, suggesting a name change after the original composition; Prince Hal refers to Falstaff as "my old lad of the castle" in the first act of the play, which further suggests that the character was originally called "Oldcastle."
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| Sir John Oldcastle burned for heresy (via wikipedia) |
Sir John Fastolf
Sir John Fastolf was an English knight during the Hundred Years War, fought--and lost--against Joan of Arc, and was charged with cowardice for fleeing from the Battle of Patay, though he was later able to clear his name of that charge. Also, he was the owner of the real Boar's Head Inn, the favourite haunt of Shakespeare's Falstaff. John Fastolf appears as a character in the Henry VI plays, which were written earlier than the Henry IV plays.
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| Sir John Fastolf (via all-generals.ru) |
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