In Henry IV, Part One, Falstaff—the "fat knight''—is a dishonest but charismatic friend and father figure to Prince Hal. In Henry IV, Part Two, he has gained enough respectability from his so-called ''good service'' as an officer at the battle of Shrewsbury and from the commission he now holds from Prince John (I.ii.60-62) that the chief justice refrains from arresting him for a robbery he committed before the wars. (Falstaff's involvement in the Gadshill robbery and the battle of Shrewsbury forms part of the action in
Source: Shakespeare for Students, ©2013 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.
(The entire page is 469 words.)
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