Falstaff is completely harmless, he does not choose a side nor defend his own, he simply does not care. But Falstaff’s apathetic character shows that there may not be a good enough reason for anyone to care about anything, and this may be the lesson he wants Hal to learn before Hal loses himself in brainwashing royal duties. Falstaff is significant because he is the control in an experiment. There are characters who are in the heat of the moment, so driven by justice, fear, or honor; in reality, as Falstaff stands on the side as a mindless participator of this nonsense, he shows that none of it
In his ordinary world, Falstaff is a knight who is portraying the lover archetype. His goal is to earn money in the easiest way, possibly because he is not getting a job. Falstaff states, “Well, sirs, I am almost out at heels. There is no remedy. I must cony-catch, I must shift” (Shakespeare,27).
In the beginning Hal lightheartedly teases Falstaff, until their drama takes a more serious note. Hal confidently and abruptly asserts that when the time comes, Falstaff will be no longer a companion to him but an outcast. Hal’s swift turn from jest to gravity compares to the abrupt change of temperament in a child becoming upset with a pet. At the end of Henry IV, Hal’s development becomes clear. Hal finally shows a depth of emotion at the pitiful sight of the dead Falstaff.
It was during this time that theatres were brought back which was once barred by the Puritans. The literature back then painted about the life of Restoration period. From many literature works, William Congreve’s The Way of the World is one of those satire works where the social life is mirrored. Drabble (2008) said “In these Congreve shows himself the master of Restoration comedy, studying the social pressures on love and marriage with wit and subtlety” (p.228). The play depicts the life styles
He is ordered to the royal court, needing to explain his actions to Henry IV. At the same time, Prince Harry amuses himself in a tavern, joined by several criminals, and shows “a manner unbefitting royalty”10, making him a disappointment to his own father. One of Harry 's best friends is Falstaff, someone who makes a living out of stealing and lying, yet the young prince likes his presence though he often fools around with him, for example in a fake robbery which is only thought to be a joke on
Jack and Algernon emerge as the central characters in the play, and their determination of being Earnest is clearly demonstrated (Wilde, 116). They admire the young girls, and they start off their relationships with lies to the girls with the aim marrying them. There is an instance of satire in this comedy since the two boys pretend to be Earnest which portrays qualities such as honesty and sincerity. However, they opt to create lies the girls that they intend to
One among them is of course the presentation of Subaltern women characters. The woman characters in Shakespeare’s plays suffered man’s psychological conflicts. The characters like Ophelia, Desdemona, Cordelia, Imogen, Queen Catherine etc, are all the victims of that. He appears to have developed a bias against women when we delve in to the soul of Gertrude, and that of Lady Macbeth. He seems to scandalize the readers by the delineation of such women as Cleopatra and Cressida.
Shakespeare does not alter King Richard’s character from the King Richard II who actually ruled. The play is historically accurate and the events which occurred during his reign are kept in their proper order, “It is the small and subtle changes to the chronicles that so effectively reshape the focus of the play from a simple report on history, to a dramatic lesson on the responsibilities of monarchs,” (Mabillard, 2000). During this period in history, one very good reason to study things which had historical value was to avoid committing the same errors from times past. In the final act of the play, Shakespeare takes great pains to show that Richard is not overthrown by definition. He remains king in name while Bolingbroke, King Henry IV, ascends the throne.
A direct rebellion to the tyrannic time spent under the puritan regime writers and actors went to the extremes in hopes of defying and rebuking against the struggles they had just overcome. Restoration theater was not a judgement or criticism of how people of the time lived there lives but rather a medium used to enlighten society to it 's ways.Following an absence spanning almost two decades theater became reborn and this rebellion ensured that that theater would never be suppressed again. We don 't use over exaggerated outfits,our make-up on stage is often simple and natural and our plots and story lines are no longer as drastic but then we have never known what it is to be without the theater,our lives never conditioned and our entertainment never banned and so surely it is that this form of theater,immoral as it may be is justified considering the society from which it is
As Long As There Is Struggle, Theatre Will Live -Panini Anand The history of theatre is as old as the advent of communication in human civilization. While the histrionic art was institutionalized at a much later stage, its roots can be traced back to the time when the first message was conveyed between individuals through gestures. The dramatics is not confined to humans alone; we see its reflection in several other species. Indian civilization has a rich legacy of theatre. It is the land of the Natya Shashtra, one of the oldest treatises on the performing arts written by the sage Bharata during the period between 200 BCE and 200 CE.