The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor or Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a reference to the town of Windsor, also the location of Windsor Castle, in Berkshire, England. Though nominally set in the reign of Henry IV or early in the reign of Henry V, the play makes no pretence to exist outside contemporary Elizabethan-era English middle-class life. It features the character Sir John Falstaff, the fat knight who had previously been featured in Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2. It has been adapted for the opera at least ten times. The play is one of Shakespeare's lesser-regarded works among literary critics. Tradition has it that The Merry Wives of Windsor was written at the request of Queen Elizabeth I. After watching Henry IV Part I, she asked Shakespeare to write a play showing Falstaff in love.
Excerpted from The Merry Wives of Windsor on Wikipedia.
The Merry Wives of Windsor
| Author | William Shakespeare |
| Country | England |
| Genre | Drama, Comedy |
| Copyright | Public domain worldwide. |
| Book cover | Buck Washing on Datchet Mead from 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' Original Image: John S. Clifton | wikimedia |
| Ebooks | Project Gutenberg |
| Scans | Internet Archive |
| Audio | Librivox | Internet Archive Reader: Group, Dramatic Readings 01 02 03 04 05 |
| Read online | The Merry Wives of Windsor |
