Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

After finishing Cymbeline, there were certain aspects that didn't seem as clear to me as they did at first. Iachimo was definitely wrong in tricking Posthumus, but what should we believe about Posthumus agreeing to the bet in the first place? Cloten also had some awful plans, but with his lack of intelligence and an upbringing by an “evil” queen, did he really deserve to die? It might just be the psychology major in me, but this play made me question the labels these characters are seemingly given, and what might be hidden.

Because of this, when the Prince Harry and Falstaff entered the picture in King Henry IV, I was immediately suspicious. I didn't think Falstaff was going to be the one who pushes the Prince to do something he would later regret. Other than the obvious conversation that takes place between Harry and Poins to trick him, his language seems deliberately…well, likable (and funny). For instance:

"O, thou hast damnable iteration and art indeed able
to corrupt a saint. Thou hast done much harm upon
me, Hal; God forgive thee for it! Before I knew
thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now am I, if a man
should speak truly, little better than one of the
wicked." (I.ii.196-201)

This joking nature does not turn Falstaff into a perfect friend. In fact, it proves he has a very flawed, yet real personality that makes me believe he isn't a "bad guy" in this play.

So why take all these mischievous characters and later prove them (somewhat) innocent, or even correct about the state of humanity? Does Shakespeare keep us puzzled to keep us entertained, or is he trying to show us how fragile our ideas of morality are? For me, the easy, but correct answer is both. In the times of these kings and queens, the "written" rules of right and wrong didn't apply to every situation or person. Even today, everyone has a different back story or motive, and it’s rarely strictly good or evil. Behind all of them are love, loss, pain, anger, revenge, or even insanity. But these complexities always make for an interesting story, and it’s a huge part of why I enjoy Shakespeare.