LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW - Concordia Lutheran Seminary

BAUE: REDEMPTIVE THEMES IN SHAKESPEARE 13
6. Gluttony
“He who keeps the law is a discerning son,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.” (Prov. 28:7)
Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2
Falstaff! Arguably one of Shakespeare’s greatest creations, this vibrant
character steals every scene he’s in, from his introduction in Henry IV, to his
back-by-popular-demand vehicle, The Merry Wives of Windsor. At first
glance, Falstaff is a jolly, fat old man. A deeper look reveals a darker side.
As the play opens, King Henry IV is lamenting his sins and the execution
of his predecessor, King Richard II, whose throne Henry has usurped. He
also grieves over his wastrel son, Prince Hal, saying, “riot and dishonor stain
the brow / Of my young Harry” (I.i.85-86). The next scene is in the Boar’s
Head Tavern in Eastcheap, where Prince Hal and his companion Falstaff are
sleeping it off after a night of carousing. In the north, Hotspur is urging
rebellion against King Henry, fuelled by the conflict over succession. In the
next tavern scene, Falstaff refers to his “dagger of lath”, a prop which clearly
links him to the character Vice in the old morality plays (II.iv.137). A
messenger summons Hal to the palace to deal with the rebellion. Instead, the
young prince and his friend stage a hilarious mock trial in which Falstaff
plays the King questioning Hal. Even so, Prince Hal shows a growing
awareness of the responsibility which is about to descend upon him with the
crown. As preparations for war proceed, Falstaff protests, “I’ll repent”
(III.iii.5). But it is Hal who is truly changing. In the battle, Hal fights and
kills Hotspur, but the cowardly Falstaff feigns death, saying, “The better part
of valor is discretion” (V.iv.120).
The action continues in the second part of Henry IV, where the rebels still
think they can win the war. In London, the King is sick. Hal is back at the
Boar’s Head, still frolicking with Falstaff, when a sobering word comes to
him of his father’s rapid decline. Remember that Vice is a compendium of
all faults, and to his gluttony Falstaff now adds avarice as he makes money
by letting soldiers buy off their conscription. In parley before battle, Hal
tricks the rebels and wins the victory without bloodshed. Still, the dying
King thinks ill of his son and has it out with him: “O foolish youth, / Thou
seek’st the greatness that will overwhelm thee” (IV.v.96-97). “O pardon me,
my liege,” the prodigal cries out, and father and son are reconciled. The
King dies, and Hal is to be crowned. Falstaff is wild with anticipation of
advancement, and promises his friends that he will repay all debts. Yet when
Falstaff meets the coronation procession, Hal says, “I know thee not old
man, fall to thy prayers” (V.v.47). Having overcome Vice, the prince now
deserves the crown.
Falstaff’s god is his belly and he comes to a bad end, but Jesus feeds the
nations, saying, “Take and eat, this is My body” (Matt.26:26).