Henry IV, Part One Group

Question:


johnnyutah
Student

What is the relationship between Hal and Falstaff?

Rate question:

Posted by johnnyutah on Friday January 26, 2007 at 11:54 AM and tagged with characters, falstaff, hal, henry iv, part i.

Answers:


  1. gbeatty Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    There is no one relationship between Hal and Falstaff. Rather, there are several.

    Falstaff fills the position of surrogate father, and one a lot less scary than Hal's real dad.

    Hal and Falstaff are drinking buddies; they enjoy wasting time together.

    Falstaff is a way for Hal to get access to not just the lower classes, but the riffraff of society (thieves, prostitutes, etc.). This is both a kind of slumming and a kind of education for the future king.

    Finally, Falstaff is a kind of dark mirror. Hal wants to shrug off the burden of honor, but he sees in Falstaff the results.
    Greg

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/henry/38542

    Rate answer:

    Posted by gbeatty on Monday February 26, 2007 at 8:53 AM

  2. revolution
    revolution Teacher
    Doctorate

    The relationship between the both of them are very close. They trade barbs, showing their equality to each other. They are very unseperatable buddies as they always hang out with each other and enjoy spending time, but one thing that seperates the two of them: Hal is Falstaff's superior in ranks and positions and in moral courage from the very start of the story

    Rate answer:

    Posted by revolution on Monday July 20, 2009 at 5:49 AM