Doll Tearsheet, Falstaff, Henry and Poins (Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part 2, Act 2, Scene 4) 1795 - 1852

This engraving after a painting by Richard Westall, made by William Satchwell Leney, illustrates a scene from Shakespeare's play, Henry IV, Part 2. It captures the moment when Falstaff is embraced by Doll Tearsheet in the Boar's Head Tavern, as Prince Henry and Poins look on. Reflecting the social stratification of Shakespearean England, the print depicts a bawdy scene, set in the underbelly of society. Gender dynamics are at play as Doll Tearsheet, a marginalized woman, asserts her agency in a male-dominated world. Falstaff, corpulent and convivial, embodies the excesses of the aristocracy, while the presence of Prince Henry hints at the blurred lines between nobility and common life. Shakespeare's portrayal of these characters invites us to consider the complexities of human nature, and how individuals negotiate their identities within society. We are left to consider how Shakespeare, and Leney after him, grappled with themes of power, morality, and the human condition, which still resonate today.