The true origin of the character Falstaff

Falstaff is a theatrical character born from a name change imposed on Shakespeare, who transformed the surname of the knight John Fastolf. The latter was unjustly accused of cowardice at the Battle of Patay, a colossal error that Shakespeare wrongly repeated in his plays. To add to the confusion, the playwright used for his character a Southwark inn similar to the one the real Fastolf owned in the 15th century.