The Merry Wives of Windsor

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The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare

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The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare

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Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. Married Anne Hathaway in 1582, and had three children He was a favourite of monarchs Elizabeth I and James I His company got the status of king‘s players. Wealthy and renowned, Shakespeare retired to Stratford. Died in 1616 at the age of fifty-two. Shakespeare’s life

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They were collected and printed in various editions in the century following his death A collection of his works did not appear until 1623, seven years after his death, when two actors posthumously recorded his work and published 36 of William’s plays in the First Folio Shakespeare’s Works

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154 Sonnets A Lover's Complaint Poetry Plays Shakespeare's plays are the greatest in the English language and in Western literature. He wrote tragedies, histories, comedies and romances William Shakespeare never published any of his plays and therefore none of the original manuscripts have survived

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Hamlet Othello Macbeth Romeo and Juliet Tragedies Histories King Henry IV, V, VI and VIII King John Richard II and III Comedies Midsummer Night's Dream Merchant of Venice Tempest Merry Wives of Windsor

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The play places Sir John Falstaff in the country village of Windsor in the contemporary setting of the Elizabethan era. It shows the life in that English provincial town in 1590. Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor It is the most middle-class play in setting, subject matter, and outlook, with physical gags and linguistic jokes. Shakespeare wrote the play in just two weeks

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Date of composition is unknown Written in 1597-8 Registered for publication in 1602. The script was first printed in 1602 The first performance in London on April 23rd, 1597, at a feast of the Order of the Garter The text survives in two different versions, one in the First Quarto (1602) and another in the First Folio (1623). Date and Origin

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Sir John Falstaff decides to woo Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ford and charm them free of their money He writes them a love letter, the same letter for both women. The two "merry wives" compare letters and decide to give Sir John a lesson Mr. Ford finds out Falstaff's plans related to his wife, and plots to surprise him. The two women manage to humiliate Falstaff. Meanwhile three men woo Mrs. Page's lovely daughter, Anne. In the end, all decide to forgive Falstaff and accept the couple, Anne and Fenton. They go home and laugh about the previous events. Summary

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The action takes place in Windsor, in Berkshire County, England during the Elizabethan Age. The comedy is unique amongst William Shakespeare's plays because it is set in Shakespeare's England. The setting

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The comedy contains characters both above and below the middle class, as well as culturally stereotyped foreigners Characters Sir John Falstaff : A fat knight with a robust appetite for food, drink, women, their money, and mischief. Mrs. Alice Ford: Merry wife Mrs. Margaret Page: The other merry wife wooed by Falstaff. Main Characters

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Francis Ford: Mrs. Ford’s husband George Page: Mrs. Page’s husband William Page: Mr. Page’s son  Anne Page: Mrs. Page’s daughter Fenton: A gentleman who loves Anne Page. Sir Hugh Evans: A Welsh parson. Doctor Caius: A French physician. Robert shallow: A country justice Bardolph, Pistol, Nym: Falstaff’s companions Abraham Slender: Shallow’s cousin Robin: Falstaff’s page Peter Simple: Slender’s servant John Rugby: Doctor Caius’ servant Mrs. Quickly: Doctor Caius’ servant Secondary Characters

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The prejudices of middle-class England Class and Wealth Love versus Money / Love and Marriage Jealousy and Revenge The idea of unfaithfulness Restoration of Order in the Community Key Themes

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Falstaff is persuaded to wear horns in the final episode (castigation of the scapegoat). Symbols Stylistic devices More Prose than Verse (Verse:Pistol) Latin and misused English Jokes in broken English - Satire The script of the play is extremely long.

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The . …….. Conclusions and Final Point of View by Lucrecia Ávila de Plano