Falstaff
Is in the cast of the movie, but according to my text, Shakespeare did not include Falstaff in the cast. I don't think Falstaff has lines in either.
shareOlivier borrowed lines from Henry IV, Part II, to give Falstaff something to say on his deathbed, and to give the death of Falstaff more prominence and, probably, emotional impact. In the film, it gives the effect of Falstaff reliving his last encounter with Prince Hal (now King Henry V), wherein the newly-crowned king rebuffs those with whom he formerly kept (rather bawdy) company. These also included Pistol, Bardolph, Nym, et al. In the actual play, characters onstage relate the events of Falstaff's death after the fact, but the death is not actually portrayed.
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And Pistol gets a line - a mighty line, as you might say - from Marlowe -
Is it not passing brave to be a King
And ride in triumph through Persepolis?
Spoken as he and the others walk away from the inn, on their way to war.
I read somehwere that Pistol's characterisation was always meant to be deliberately anachronistic. And that the actor, as well as having verbose and old fashioned for 1600s dialogue written for him, was known to ad lib in the style of other playwrights and their characters (either out of flattery or contempt) for the amusement of the crowd.
@Twitzkrieg - Glasgow's FOREMOST authority
Oh yes, I think he was written as a more-or-less affectionate tribute to Edward Alleyn, and also, of course, Christopher Marlowe. "Hollow pampered jades of Asia..." That's Tamburlaine
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