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Loading... The Merry Wives of Windsor (1602)by William Shakespeare
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. John Falstaff of the Henry plays is visiting Windsor and writes letters to two of the wives, attempting to seduce them for their husbands' money. The wives, Mistress Ford (of a jealous husband) and Mistress Page (of a not-so-jealous husband), decide to have some fun with him for coming up with so outrageous a plot. Meanwhile, multiple suitors try to Miss Anne Page's hand. This is a departure from many of Shakespeare's plays in that the majority of it is written in prose; only some is in meter. I enjoyed the wordplay and the ridiculous scenarios and ways the wives outwit Falstaff. The fat jokes may offend. I read this to prep for seeing the play this week. I have never read or seen this play, and thought it wouldn't hurt to go in knowing the story. The Folger Shakespeare Library editions are laid out nicely. Every page of the play has a facing page that explains the more inscrutable phrases. The introductory sections were brief but interesting, and there are recommendations for further reading in the back, along with an essay about the play. If I ever feel the need to study before going out to enjoy another Shakespeare play, I would look for this format again. The play itself was fun. I always choose comedies when I buy play tickets. Shakespeare comedies are always full of tricks and hijinks, and Merry Wives of Windsor is no exception. Stir in a couple of pranksters and dudes with funny accents, and we have ourselves a romp that should be great to see on stage. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to Publisher SeriesIs contained inThe Works of William Shakespeare: The Henry Irving Shakespeare: Volume 6: King Henry VI Pt.2, King Henry V, The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare 5 Plays: As You Like It; The Merry Wives of Windsor; A Midsummer Night's Dream; Much Ado About Nothing; Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare 3 Plays: The Merry Wives of Windsor; The Tempest; The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare Ein Sommernachtstraum / Der Kaufmann von Venedig / Viel Lärm um nichts / Wie es euch gefällt / Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor by William Shakespeare 4 Plays: The Comedy of Errors; The Merry Wives of Windsor; A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare The Annotated Shakespeare: The Comedies, Histories, Sonnets and Other Poems, Tragedies and Romances Complete by William Shakespeare (indirect) The Norton Shakespeare: Four-Volume Set by Stephen Greenblatt (indirect) The Norton Shakespeare: Two Volume Set by William Shakespeare (indirect) Is retold inHas the adaptationInspiredHas as a studyHas as a student's study guide
The Merry Wives of Windsor was almost certainly required at short notice for a court occasion in 1597: Shakespeare threw into it all the creative energy that went into his Henry IV plays. Falstaff is here, with Pistol, Mistress Quickly, and Justice Shallow, in a spirited and warm-hearted'citizen comedy'. Boisterous action is combined with situational irony and rich characterization.In his introduction T. W. Craik discusses the play's probable occasion (the Garter Feast of 1597 at court), its relationship to Shakespeare's English history plays and to other sources, its textual history (with particular reference to the widely diverging 1623 Folio and 1602 Quarto), and itsoriginal quality as drama. He assesses various interpretations of the play, topical, critical, and theatrical. In the commentary he pays particular attention to expounding the literal sense (he proposes some new readings) and evoking the stage business. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)822.33Literature English English drama Elizabethan 1558-1625 Shakespeare, William 1564–1616LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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The play itself is very entertaining with plenty of gags that make Falstaff a real laughing stock. Unfortunately, many scenes in the play are a torture to read because of the German and Welsh accents of two of the characters as well as the many malapropisms in English, French and Latin. Fortunately, this edition contains easy links to footnotes that clarify what is being said. The jump to the footnotes is however a distraction while reading. ( )