Falstaff

You may be looking for Lord Falstaff.

Falstaff was a character in at least two plays by William Shakespeare, (PROSE: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (novelisation)"]) including The Merry Wives of Windsor. (PROSE: Apocrypha Bipedium ^[+]Loading...["Apocrypha Bipedium (short story)"])

The character was based upon Sir John Oldcastle. (TV: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (TV story)"], PROSE: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (novelisation)"]) Following Falstaff's appearance in Shakespeare's latest play up to that point, (PROSE: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (novelisation)"]) Queen Elizabeth I summoned Shakespeare to court to confirm this fact because the character had caused concern to Oldcastle, with Francis Bacon observing "it was so obviously he". (TV: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (TV story)"]) After Shakespeare admitted the connection, Elizabeth was not offended as Shakespeare had feared, instead telling him to pay the matter no further thought (TV: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (TV story)"], PROSE: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (novelisation)"]) and that she found it "very amusing". She expressed that it was "a pity" he had no plans to write a further play featuring Falstaff (TV: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (TV story)"]) but then declared that she had an "excellent" idea of the subject for Shakespeare's next play, (PROSE: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (novelisation)"]) stating he would write of "Falstaff in love". (TV: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (TV story)"], PROSE: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (novelisation)"]) This constituted his commission to write the play which would become The Merry Wives of Windsor. (PROSE: Apocrypha Bipedium ^[+]Loading...["Apocrypha Bipedium (short story)"])

Behind the scenes

In the real world, Falstaff was central to three Shakespearean plays, both parts of Henry IV and The Merry Wives of Windsor. The play in which Falstaff appears prior to the events of The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (TV story)"] is not named in any source but is identifiable due to the historical legend that states Elizabeth I requested a romantic Falstaff play after watching Henry IV, Part 1.

William Shakespeare

Identities

Golden Emperor • Francis Bacon • Christopher Marlowe • Richard III

Works

Antony and Cleopatra • As You Like It • Cardenio • Cymbeline • Hamlet • Henry IV, Part 1 • Henry V • Henry VI, Part 1 • Henry VI, Part 2 • Henry VI, Part 3 • Henry VIII • Julius Caesar • King Lear • Love's Labour's Lost • Love's Labour's Won • Macbeth • Measure for Measure • The Merchant of Venice • The Merry Wives of Windsor • A Midsummer Night's Dream • Mischief Night, or As You Please • The Noble Troyan Woman of Troy • Othello • Pericles • Richard II • Richard III • Romeo and Juliet • The Taming of the Shrew • The Tempest • Titus Andronicus • Troilus and Cressida • Twelfth Night • The Two Gentlemen of Verona • The Winter's Tale

Collections	Shakespeare Notebooks • Complete Works of Shakespeare

Television	The Prosperos • EastEnders

Characters

Puck

Antony and Cleopatra	Mark Antony • Caesar • Cleopatra • Clown • Mara

As You Like It	Peri Brown • Clown • Duke Senior • Frederick • Jaques • Time Lord

Cymbeline	Cymbeline • Doctor • Helen • Iachimo • Imogen • Posthumus • Queen

Hamlet	Clown • Grathnave • Hamlet • Hamlet's father • Hamlet's mother • Hamlet's uncle • Horatio • Magician • Medic • Yorick

Henry IV, Part 1	Falstaff • George, Duke of Clarence • Henry IV

Henry V	The Chorus • Henry V • Warlike Doctor

Henry VI, Part 1	Henry VI

Henry VI, Part 2	Henry VI

King Lear	Cordelia • Lear

Love's Labour's Lost	Costard

Macbeth	Banquo • The Doctor • Doctor • Donalbain • Duncan • Fleance • Gentlewoman • Jamie • Lenox • Macbeth • Lady Macbeth • Macduff • Lady Macduff • Macduff's children • Malcolm • Menteith • Porter • Rosse • Servant • Siward • Weird Sisters • Zoe

Measure for Measure	Angelo • Isabella

The Merchant of Venice	Shylock

The Merry Wives of Windsor	Falstaff

A Midsummer Night's Dream	Nick Bottom • The Lion • Pyramus • Thisbe • Titania

The Noble Troyan Woman of Troy	Cressida (Vicki) • Mistress Charley • Goatherd • Doctor Shallow • Troilus • Young Will

Pericles	Bawd • The Doctor • First Gentleman • Second Gentleman • Lysimachus • Marina • Pandar • Romana

Richard II	Richard II

Richard III	Edward IV • Edward of Westminster • George, Duke of Clarence • Margaret of Anjou • Anne Neville • Princes in the Tower (Edward • Richard) • Richard III • Henry Stafford • Henry Tudor • Elizabeth Woodville

Romeo and Juliet	Apothecary • Capulet • Juliet Capulet • Juliet Capulet (Teselecta) • Lady Capulet • Chief Watchman • The Doctor • Friar Laurence • Mercutio • Montague • Romeo Montague • Romeo Montague (clone) • Lady Montague • Juliet's nurse • Paris • Paris (Nestene duplicate) • Amy Pond • Rory • Rosaline • Tybalt • Tybalt (Zygon) • Watchman

The Taming of the Shrew	Kate • Petruchio

The Tempest	Alonso • Antonio • Ariel • Caliban • Ferdinand • Miranda • Prospero • Stephano • Sycorax • Trinculo

Troilus and Cressida	Agamemnon • Cassandra • Cressida • Diomede • Hector • Helen • Helenus • Menelaus • Nestor • Paris • Priam • Prologue • Troilus

Twelfth Night	Andrew Aguecheek • Toby Belch • Feste • Malvolio • Olivia • Orsino • Sebastian • Viola

The Winter's Tale	Antigonus • Hermione • Leontes • Paulina • Perdita • Physician

Relatives

Anne Hathaway (wife) • Susanna (daughter) • Judith (daughter) • Hamnet (son)

Life

Stratford-upon-Avon • Globe Theatre

Legacy

Shakespeare's Playing Space • Shakespeare's Shrew

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