Richard Hathwaye a counterblast to the negative depiction of the title character in the original versions of William Shakespeare's plays "Henry IV (Part 1)" and "Henry IV (Part 2)". Objections from descendants of the historical John Oldcastle, a Protestant martyr, appears to have been responsible both for the writing of the corrective "Oldcastle" play and the alteration of Oldcastle to Sir John Falstaff in later versions of the "Henry IV" plays. Known plays by Hathwaye, either singly or in conjunction with others, include: For the Admiral's Men, 1598-1602: For Worcester's Men, 1602-1603: For the Admiral's Men, 1603: Richard Hathwaye Richard Hathwaye (fl.
Sir John Oldcastle The later scenes are devoted to Rochester's pursuit of Oldcastle and his wife, and their escapes; the play ends on a temporary positive note, with the Oldcastles evading imprisonment. (Presumably, the lost second half of the play would have had the inevitable grimmer ending of Oldcastle's grisly death.) Sir John Oldcastle Sir John Oldcastle is an Elizabethan play about John Oldcastle, a controversial 14th-15th century rebel and Lollard who was seen by some of Shakespeare's contemporaries as a proto-Protestant martyr. The play was originally published anonymously in 1600 (Q1), printed by Valentine Simmes for the bookseller Thomas Pavier. In 1619,