Having inspired countless incredible performances, plus books, operas, films and new theatrical works, the legacy of Shakespeare's 'Lord of Misrule' is undeniable. ‘Falstaffian’ entered the English language around the 1800s, and is still used to this day to describe a person of robust, bawdy humour, good-natured rascality and brazen braggadocio, but also drunkenness, duplicitous and portly figure.

But where did the character of Sir John Falstaff come from and does is the history of the character offer us any clues to his ongoing popularity?

WHERE DID THE NAME ‘FALSTAFF’ COME FROM?

The name Falstaff probably comes from another real medieval knight, Sir John Fastolf, who was famous for having fought a battle against Joan of Arc in 1429, which the English lost. While he appeared to have been a widely respected soldier up until this point, at the time Shakespeare was writing, he had become a figure of some mockery, with suggestions that he ran from the field of battle, saving his own skin but ensuring the battle was lost. He was subsequently temporarily stripped of his knighthood.

Confusingly, the ‘real’ Sir John Fastolf appears in Shakespeare’s earlier work Henry VI Part I, where he is portrayed as a coward who fled battle and was blamed for the English defeat. In the First Folio, this character’s name is spelled ‘Falstaffe’, which could be where Shakespeare got the name for the fictional character in Henry IV.

Some have noted that Fall Staff is also a play on Shake Spear, with some speculating that the playwright-actor himself could have been the first to play Sir John, citing an old manuscript of Henry IV Part 2 which retains the stage direction 'Enter Will' shortly before Falstaff starts speaking. Equally, this could have referred to the legendary comic actor Will Kemp. He was famous for lavishly improvising around his roles, and also left the company in 1599, suggesting this could also be the reason Falstaff doesn't return in Henry V.

However, Falstaff has more agency than a traditional Fool. He is a knight, has a name and a back story, 'side quests' without the protagonist - he actually speaks more lines than Hal in both Henry IV plays.

The beauty of Falstaff is that he is all these things, and yet a distinct character in his own right, with complexities beyond being simply a cipher for moralising or a tool for creating dramatic irony. When Prince Hal becomes King Henry V, his rejection of Falstaff is the dramatic ending point for the play. It is anything but comic, and it is only our ability to enjoy and empathise with Falstaff makes the moment so poignant and the play so powerful.

FALSTAFF: AN RSC PERFORMANCE HISTORY

There have been many legendary names to take on the role of Falstaff over our history, including Simon Callow, Leslie Philips and Desmond Barrit.

The first recorded performance of Falstaff with the Royal Shakespeare Company was by William Creswick in 1883.

The person who we have recorded as play Falstaff the most is George R. Weir, who played the character in 17 different productions of Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2 and The Merry Wives of Windsor between 1887 and 1908.

FALSTAFF IN OTHER ART FORMS

• Opera: Carl Otto Nicolai's opera Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor is based on The Merry Wives of Windsor (1849)
• Opera: Verdi's opera Falstaff is based on The Merry Wives of Windsor (1893)
• Artwork: Falstaff am Tisch mit Weinkrug und Zinnbecher, Eduard von Grützner (1910)
• Opera: Ralph Vaughan Williams' opera Sir John in Love (1924-1928)
• Symphonic Study: Elgar wrote a 'symphonic study' for orchestra called Falstaff (1913)
• Film: Orson Welles’ Chimes at Midnight (1965) compiles the two Henry IV plays into a single, condensed storyline, while adding a few scenes form Henry V, Richard II and The Merry Wives of Windsor. It stars Welles as Falstaff, John Gielgud as King Henry and Keith Baxter as Hal.
• Theatre: Ian McKellen, having resisted offers to play the role for most of his career, plays Falstaff in a new adaptation of the two Henry IVs, Player Kings, directed by Robert Icke (2024)