The relationship between Falstaff and Harry is complex. Falstaff seems to be fond of Harry, but it is strange that Harry enjoys spending time with Falstaff. This introductory scene demonstrates the apparently good-natured, joking sort of relationship that exists between them. But as Falstaff's extraordinary facility with language and knowledge of the seedy underbelly of London come to light, it becomes clear that Harry is also learning from Falstaff. The older man is, in a sense, instructing Harry in a robust way of life quite outside the noble sphere—the life that Falstaff himself leads and the philosophy that governs it.
Poins and Harry's betrayal of the other highwaymen supports the old saying that there is no honor among thieves, an idea that Falstaff touches on when he says, "A plague upon't when thieves cannot be true one to another!" (II.ii.25–26). Ironically, it is Harry—the crown prince himself—who is among the worst of the crew, not only participating in a robbery but also stabbing his friends in the back. This betrayal is done as a joke, but it is strangely at odds with Harry's alleged goal of becoming the most honorable character of all, one worthy of being a king.
The role-playing in which Falstaff and Harry engage at the end of the scene is both a spectacular display of wittiness and a complicated statement about the way the two think about each other and themselves. The style of Falstaff's speech to Harry, as he plays the role of King Henry, derives from the over-the-top tragedies of Shakespeare's day; when Falstaff speaks "in King Cambyses' vein," he is mocking the bombastic style of the monarchs in such plays (II.v.352). Not surprisingly, Falstaff praises the virtues of the "goodly, portly man" with whom Harry keeps company—Falstaff himself (II.v.384). When Harry takes over as King Henry, however, his mode of addressing Falstaff (who is now Harry) is considerably harsher. The joke turns somewhat ugly; when he insults Falstaff, he does it thoroughly and painfully, labeling him "[t]hat villainous, abominable misleader of youth, … that old white-bearded Satan"
There is a charged, foreboding sincerity in Falstaff's final plea to Harry in the role of the king. He begs Harry to banish the other ruffians "but for sweet Jack Falstaff, kind Jack Falstaff, true Jack Falstaff, valiant Jack Falstaff … Banish not him thy Harry's company, Banish not him thy Harry's company" (II.v.432–437). Falstaff's description of himself as "sweet," "kind," "true," and "valiant" rings hollow, since Falstaff is quite clearly a somewhat cowardly robber who loves to exaggerate. But the repetition of his entreaty that Harry not banish him seems to endow his plea with a degree of seriousness and even melancholy, as if he senses that he ultimately will be banished.
Sir John Falstaff - Old, fat, lazy, selfish, dishonest, corrupt, thieving, manipulative, boastful, and lecherous, Falstaff is, despite his many negative qualities, perhaps the most popular of all of Shakespeare's comic characters. Though he is technically a knight, Falstaff's lifestyle clearly renders him incompatible with the ideals of courtly chivalry that one typically associates with knighthood. For instance, Falstaff is willing to commit robbery for the money and entertainment of it. As Falstaff himself notes at some length, honor is useless to him: "Can honour set-to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No…. What is honour? A word" (Act 5 Sc 1)He perceives of honor as a mere "word," an abstract concept that has no relevance to practical matters. Nevertheless, though Falstaff mocks honor by linking it to violence, to which it is intimately connected throughout the play, he remains endearing and likable to Shakespeare's audiences. Two reasons that Falstaff retains this esteem are because he plays his scoundrel's role with such gusto and because he never enjoys enough success to become a real villain; even his highway robbery ends in humiliation for him.
Falstaff seems to scorn morality largely because he has such a hearty appetite for life and finds the niceties of courtesy and honor useless when there are jokes to be told and feasts to be eaten.