William Shakespeare’s character Sir John Falstaff is entirely the playwright’s creation, though he is said to have based Falstaff on Sir John Oldcastle, a soldier and the martyred leader of the Lollard sect in the early 15th century. Shakespeare had originally called this character Sir John Oldcastle in the first version of Henry IV, Part 1 (written c. 1596–97), but he changed the name before the play was registered because Oldcastle’s descendants—who were then prominent at court—protested. Shakespeare chose the name Falstaff partly because it contained echoes of the name Sir John Fastolf, which he had earlier given to a cowardly knight in Henry VI, Part 1.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style