 Welles considered Falstaff to be " Shakespeare 's greatest creation " and said that the role was " the most difficult part I 've ever played . " Keith Baxter believed that making the film was Welles 's life 's ambition . Before the 1939 Boston premiere of Five Kings , Welles told journalists " I will play him as a tragic figure . I hope , of course , he will be funny to the audience , just as he was funny to those around him . But his humor and wit were aroused merely by the fact that he wanted to please the prince . Falstaff , however , had the potential of greatness in him . " Reviews for the 1939 play mention Welles ' choice to downplay the traditional comedic elements of Falstaff in his performance . This reverence for the character increased over the years and by the time Welles made Chimes at Midnight , his focus was entirely on the relationships between Falstaff , Hal and Henry IV . He believed that the core of the story was " the betrayal of friendship . " Welles called Hal 's rejection of Falstaff " one of the greatest scenes ever written , so the movie is really a preparation for it . Everything prepares for it . " Throughout the film , Hal constantly turns his back on Falstaff , foreshadowing the film 's ending . 
