 Welles said that the core of the film 's story was " the betrayal of friendship . " It stars Welles as Falstaff , Keith Baxter as Prince Hal , John Gielgud as Henry IV , Jeanne Moreau as Doll Tearsheet and Margaret Rutherford as Mistress Quickly . The script contains text from five of Shakespeare 's plays ; primarily Henry IV , Part 1 and Henry IV , Part 2 , but also Richard II , Henry V , and uses some dialogue from The Merry Wives of Windsor . Ralph Richardson 's narration is taken from the works of chronicler Raphael Holinshed . 
