The character of Falstaff in Henry IVNone of Shakespeare's plays is read more than the first and second parts of Henry IV. Particularly in Henry IV Part I, Shakespeare writes historical events in chronological order and it is interesting to follow the events. The reader follows the chain of events with devotion and content, eager to find out what happens next. Although the hero of the play is Prince Henry, or Hal as we know him, the reader may find himself more focused on Falstaff, one of the other main characters Shakespeare created for comic relief. He was a witty, knowing and self-centered companion of the prince. King Henry even criticized his eldest son for dating such a short man. Although Hal is the hero of the play in both the tragic and comedic parts, Falstaff is a main character to focus on in Shakespeare's Henry IV Part I. The prince is a character with many qualities, both good and bad. He is a man of great ability with violent passions, as Samuel Johnson had noted in his The Plays of William Shakespeare. Johnson also said that Hal's actions are wrong and even partially evil and I would have to agree with him on that. ( Johnson 234 ) To prove my point and justify Johnson's I should refer to the scene after the Boar's Head Tavern. The crew decides to play a game of thieves and Hal along with a companion decide in turn to rob Falstaff himself for fun. They do so and thus leave the man of his dignity. However, it can be argued that Falstaff prepared for such a cruel joke, he even boasted about how he fought off the masked thieves who, as he later found out, were none other than the prince himself together with a companion. Where, as the reader knows, he... in the center of the card... the reader will like is Falstaff. He is a self-centered man, concerned with his own desires with little care or regard for others. Many critics agree that it was inserted into the play for comic relief and it serves that purpose admirably. Finally, it can be said that Falstaff highlights the work and gives the viewer the pleasure of following a character of such personality and ingenuity. WORKS CITED Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. Memoranda Henry IV by HC Robinson, Signet Classic, pp. 236-237.Goldman, Michael. Shakespeare and the energies of drama Henry IV, Signet Classic, pp. 260-261. Johnson, Samuel. The Works of William Shakespeare Henry IV, Signet Classic, pp.234-235.Kahn, Coppelia. Property of Man: Masculine Identity in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Signet Classic, pp.262-266.Wilson, John Dover. The Fortunes of Falstaff Henry IV, Signet Classic, pp.238-243.