King Henry IV, Part 1
Shakespeare invented the greatest comic character in English literature — Falstaff — and built around him a play about fathers, sons, and the education of a future king.
“The better part of valour is discretion.”
Why It Matters
Shakespeare invented the greatest comic character in English literature — Falstaff — and built around him a play about fathers, sons, and the education of a future king. The Hal-Falstaff-Henry triangle is the richest character dynamic in the history plays. The play permanently raised the bar for what a history play could do with psychology and humor.
The 
Take
Personal reviewFalstaff is an awesome character, but overall the storyline didn’t really grab me. Falstaff was the only character I was really interested in. Hotspur was alright
Notable Quotes
“Banish plump Jack, and banish all the world.”
“By heaven, methinks it were an easy leap, to pluck bright honour from the pale-faced moon.”