In Act II, Scene IV (lines 438-527), Falstaff pretends he is the king, Prince Hal's father, and lectures the prince on his vices. Then, the Prince, in parody, plays his father and scolds himself for keeping company with Falstaff - "That villainous abominable misleader of youth." In Act V, Scene IV (lines 75-165), Prince Hal has developed into a serious and compassionate warrior. Falstaff, by contrast, believes that the "better part of valor is discretion."
Grade Levels: 6 to Adult