ople, although Shakespeare significantly alters or invents history where it suits him. For instance, the historical Hotspur was not the same age as Prince Hal, and Shakespeare's Mortimer is a conflation of two different historical people. The play refers importantly back to the history covered in its "prequel," Richard II, and a quick review of the events of that work might prove helpful in understanding its characters' motivations.
             Among Shakespeare's most famous creations is Falstaff, Prince Hal's fat, aged, and criminally degenerate mentor and friend. His wit is legendary and irreverent. Falstaff has many historical precedents: he owes much to archetypes like the figure of Vice from the medieval morality plays and Gluttony from the "seven deadly sins" pageants; the arrogant soldier (miles gloriosus) from classical Roman comedy; and the Lord of Misrule from folk festival tradition (see the Norton Anthology). But ultimately he is a unique creation, second among Shakespearean characters only to Hamlet as an object of critical interest.
             The play mixes history and comedy innovatively, moving from "high" scenes of kings and battles to "low" scenes of ruffians in taverns and engaged in robberies. Its larger themes include the nature of kingship, honor, and loyalty; its great strengths include a remarkable richness and variety of texture, a fascinatingly ambiguous take on history and on political motivations, and a new kind of characterization, as found in the inimitable Falstaff.
             King Henry IV, the aging king of England, is very disappointed in his son: everybody in the land knows that Prince Hal, the heir to the throne, spends most of his time in taverns on the seedy side of London, hanging around with highwaymen and vagrants. His closest friend among the rascally crew is Falstaff, a sort of substitute father f
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