Is Falstaff truer to himself and to others in Henry IV, Part One than Hal is?

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Is Falstaff is truer to himself and to others in Henry IV, Part One than Hal is?

Within Henry IV, Part One by William Shakespeare, Falstaff is truer to himself and to others than Hal due to the fact that he acts with no responsibilities whatsoever; his most important aim is his own self preservation. On the other hand, the prince is obliged to respond to numerous responsibilities that ultimately vanish his chances of being true to himself. Shakespeare demonstrates that Falstaff’s complex character is concentrated on enjoying life at its fullest, while Hal is designated to fulfil his many requirements that are attatched to his position in society.

One of the most pressing responsabilites that hangs over Hal is the fact that he will become the future king; the latter is imprisioned in a world of images, where one puts on a sign that reads ‘king’ and becomes one. His whole intelligent plot that consists in decieveing his father, nation and friends into thinking that his only concerns in life vary from drinking, stealing and having a good time when in fact this role is meant to conrast with the heroic and noble king he intends to portray when his time comes, originated in order to create a better image as a king. The fact that he carries out this plan in order to surprise the whole country, and win the people's love and his father's admiration by becoming an honourable king demonstrates that his actions respond to the appearance he has to project in order to become his mighty king. His actions are not orientated to satisfy his wishes and desires, which supports the fact that he is not as true to himself as Falstaff is.

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Flastaff is concentrated on his own wishes and desires; he is not obliged to put on an appearence that succeeds in seducing his father and nation. This character steals and lies for a living but plays this role with vigorous gusto and lives his life with no other pressing factors than his own needs, showing that he is much truer to himself than Hal. Falstaff’s innate characteristcs are not born out of malice but from the fact that he tries to get the maximum out of life with the minumum effort possible. He is basically concentrated in enjoying himself to ...

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