The Merry Wives of Windsor: The New Oxford Shakespeare

'Here will be an old abusing of God's patience and the King's English.'

The Merry Wives of Windsor is the only Shakespeare play named entirely after female characters and his only comedy set in England. These features underscore some of its most immediately appealing qualities — its contemporary realism; its depiction of everyday life; its interest in status and gender; and the language and physicality of its comedy. This edition's introduction focuses on these elements of Merry Wives, setti...