Analysis of Falstaff's role in 1 Henry IV - Essay traces Falstaff's function and role of mirroring throughout the play

Falstaff's Role in I Henry IV In Shakespearean histories, there is always one individual who influences the major character and considerably advances the plot. In I Henry IV by William Shakespeare, Falstaff is such a character. Sir John Falstaff is perhaps the most complex comic character ever invented. He carries a dignified presence in the mind's eye; and in him, we recognize our internal admiration and jealousy of the rebellious dual personality that we all …

…wit, and exposure in the streets of London. The mirroring, the revelation of brutality beneath the saturnalia comedy such as when he deliberately sends poor people off to die so he can benefit from them, creates an ironic reflection of the corruption in the kingdom and in the rebel camp. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. " 1 Henry IV." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc, 2001,495-574.