Thomas of Woodstock (play) is alive again at the beginning of "Richard II" until his execution is ordered by Bolingbroke in Act III. There is no instance of a character dying twice in the validated works of Shakespeare. There are, however, inconsistencies in Shakespeare, such as the claim at the end of "Henry IV, Part 2" that Falstaff will be seen again in "Henry V", a promise which is not kept. Furthermore, the character of Falstaff is arguably a different one in the history plays than the character encountered in "The Merry Wives of Windsor", not to mention the apparent setting of that play
Is Shakespeare Dead? following points: Twain draws parallels and analogies from the pretensions of modern religious figures and commentators on the nature of Satan. He compares the believers in Shakespeare to adherents of Arthur Orton and Mary Baker Eddy. The book has been described as "one of his least well received and most misunderstood works". Karen Lystra argues that the essay reveals satirical intentions that went beyond the Shakespeare—Bacon controversy of the time, although she admits that Twain appears to have been sincere in his beliefs concerning Shakespeare. Though it is commonly assumed to be nothing more than a stale and embarrassing rehash