
Is Shakespeare History? The Plantagenets
In Our Time: History
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Falstaff's Role in Shakespeare's Play
Falstaff's role in the play is to be is to be anti history or anti historical processes. He also, as we know, was probably originally conceived to be a version of a historical figure - Sir John Old Castle. But Falstaff is really an anti historical figure. He's the one person at the battle who can't be killed. Young young princelings ever since have aped and justified the behavior by this Falstaff figure.
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