Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·Henry IV, Part 1, Act V.iv ·Falstaff
"Discretion is the better part of valour."
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"Discretion is the better part of valour."
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"The better part of valour is discretion." Falstaff — Henry IV, Part 1, Act V.iv
Why it matters
Falstaff, the play's coward, is rationalising his cowardice. Shakespeare's phrasing makes valour the subject; the inverted modern form reads like a general maxim.
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