The original name for Sir John Falstaff in William Shakespeare’s play Henry IV, Part 1 was Sir John Oldcastle, which was the name of a real-life soldier who was the martyred leader of the Lollard sect in the early 15th century. But the character’s name was changed because of objections from Oldcastle’s descendants, who were prominent in court at the time of the play’s writing (c. 1596–97).
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