The Merry Wives of Windsor (1601) is a comedy by William Shakespeare. Following the success of
Henry IV Part I, it is rumored that Queen Elizabeth requested that the bard write a play featuring the character Falstaff in love. Falstaff, a clownish character notable for his bravery and loyalty to King Henry V, remains one of Shakespeare’s most beloved characters. Despite this prominence, it has earned a reputation as one of the playwright’s least staged works. “Come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner: come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness.” For his wit and wordplay alone, William Shakespeare is often considered the greatest writer to ever work in the English language. Where he truly triumphs, however, is in his ability to portray complex human emotions, how these emotions contribute to relationships, and how these relationships interact with politics, culture, and religion. Arriving in Windsor with an empty stomach and even emptier pockets, Falstaff comes up with a plan to seduce a wealthy woman. When his servants refuse to deliver his letters to Mistresses Ford and Page—both of them married—he fires Pistol and Nym, who subsequently inform the ladies’ husbands. Eventually, the Mistresses get their hands on Falstaff’s letters and, upon discovering they are exactly the same, conspire to embarrass the aging, overweight bachelor.
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