It was added, too, that he had developed into a regular bully, insulting people for the mere pleasure of insulting them.

Varvara Petrovna was greatly agitated and distressed.

Stepan Trofimovitch assured her that this was only the first riotous effervescence of a too richly endowed nature, that the storm would subside and that this was only like the youth of Prince Harry, who caroused with Falstaff, Poins, and Mrs.Quickly, as described by Shakespeare.
This time Varvara Petrovna did not cry out, "Nonsense, nonsense!" as she was very apt to do in later years in response to Stepan Trofimovitch.

On the contrary she listened very eagerly, asked him to explain this theory more exactly, took up Shakespeare herself and with great attention read the immortal chronicle.

But it did not comfort her, and indeed she did not find the resemblance very striking.