The Merry Wives of Windsor

by William Shakespeare


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

person AuthorWilliam Shakespeare
language CountryEngland
api GenreDrama, Comedy
copyright CopyrightPublic domain worldwide.
camera_alt Book coverBuck Washing on Datchet Mead from 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' 
Original Image: John S. Clifton | wikimedia
book_online EbooksProject Gutenberg
description ScansInternet Archive
headphones AudioLibrivox | Internet Archive
Reader: Group, Dramatic Readings
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auto_stories Read onlineThe Merry Wives of Windsor