Banter and Deceit

I'll say one thing straight off about Shakespeare's Henry IV, Parts One and Two: Prince Hal--the pretty young man who becomes Henry V--is a ruthless, calculating bastard. I like him well enough regardless, but only because I'm imagining Christian Bale in the role.

We first meet Hal when he's hanging out with Jack Falstaff, who turns out to be a fat, comedic rogue. I can't help but picture Zero Mostel in the role--albeit with an English accent. Hal and Falstaff like to banter back and forth, teasing each other as they match wits. But while there's whole-hearted affection on Falstaff's side, Hal's feelings for Falstaff seem to be affection mixed with contempt.

Hal makes it clear to the audience that he's only using Falstaff and his crowd. He's playing the part of a dissolute youth so that he can astonish everyone by turning out to have a good head on his shoulders. He seems to resent the fact that he's going to inherit the responsibilities of a crown, so he's determined to live as wildly as he can for now. But once the crown is on his head, he'll wash his hands of his present companions.

I'll own that Falstaff isn't a sterling character--he's a crook, after all. But that doesn't make it easier to watch Hal use him. Falstaff is really taken with this kid. He's not in it just for laughs.

Is Falstaff's love entirely disinterested? Probably not. He keeps mentioning the crown that Hal will eventually wear and he loves to imagine the day when he will be the best friend of the King of England. That day will never come--and in a shocking bit of roleplaying, Hal makes that plain. But Falstaff refuses to recognize the roleplaying as truth.

The relationship between the two men is the best part of the plays. I can't figure out the boundaries of that relationship, however. Are they lovers or aren't they? I'm leaning toward yes, despite the difference in their ages and looks. Better men than Falstaff have robbed the cradle--and he's so damnably charismatic that Hal might not care that he's no super model.

Most critics see it only as a father-son relationship, with perhaps a bit of longing on Falstaff's side. That's certainly possible. I see a flirtation in the banter between Hal and Falstaff, but perhaps I'm imagining it. Or maybe it's there, but it doesn't mean as much as I think it does.

I'll say this much, though: Hal is ruthless enough to make Falstaff adore him as a son or a lover--despite the fact that he knows he's going to dump the old man.