Bardolph (Shakespeare character)
Bardolph is a fictional character who appears in four plays by William Shakespeare. He is a thief who forms part of the entourage of Sir John Falstaff. His grossly inflamed nose and constantly flushed, carbuncle-covered face is a repeated subject for Falstaff's and Prince Hal's comic insults and word-play. Though his role in each play is minor, he often adds comic relief, and helps illustrate the personality change in Henry from Prince to King.
Bardolph as imagined by Henry Stacy Marks
Sir John Falstaff and Bardolph by George Cruikshank
Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written not later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the battle at Homildon Hill late in 1402, and ending with King Henry's victory in the Battle of Shrewsbury in mid-1403. In parallel to the political conflict between King Henry and a rebellious faction of nobles, the play depicts the escapades of King Henry's son, Prince Hal, and his eventual return to court and favour.
King Henry IV, Part I: The King to the Prince of Wales: "Thou shalt have charge and sovereign trust herein.", (Act III, Scene ii), by Edwin Austin Abbey (1905)
John Farmanesh-Bocca as Prince Hal in the Carmel Shakespeare Festival production of Henry IV, Part 1 in 2002
"Henry IV", Part I, Act I, Scene 3, Hotspur and the Fop, by Samuel John Egbert Jones (1828)
Falstaff by Eduard von Grützner (1906)