{"product_id":"the-merry-wives-of-windsor","title":"The Merry Wives of Windsor","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eSir John Falstaff is back. He is broke. He is desperate. And he has a plan: seduce two wealthy married women at the same time. What could possibly go wrong?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShakespeare's only domestic comedy is a rollicking, slapstick, small-town farce, featuring his most beloved rogue in a scheme that backfires spectacularly.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFalstaff, the fat, witty, cowardly knight from the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHenry IV\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e plays, has fallen on hard times. He decides to restore his fortune by seducing Mistress Ford and Mistress Page—two clever, respectable wives of Windsor. He sends them identical love letters. The wives compare notes. They are not amused. What follows is a series of humiliations: Falstaff is hidden in a laundry basket and dumped into the Thames, disguised as an old woman and beaten, and finally lured to the woods at midnight, where he is pinched and burned by children dressed as fairies. Meanwhile, three different suitors pursue the Pages' beautiful daughter Anne, and everyone ends up married to the right person—except Falstaff.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is Shakespeare at his most crowd-pleasing and English: a play about marriage, money, and the satisfaction of watching a pompous old man get exactly what he deserves.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShakespeare's only comedy set in provincial England, not Italy or Illyria\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWritten at the request of Queen Elizabeth I, who wanted to see Falstaff in love\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA masterclass in comic humiliation and the triumph of clever women over foolish men\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAvailable in multiple formats:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePaperback \u0026amp; Hardcover:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEbook:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAudiobook:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears, or the perfect gift for anyone who knows that the best revenge is making a fool laugh at himself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWilliam Shakespeare\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (1564–1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he moved to London and became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men). \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Merry Wives of Windsor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was written around 1597–1602, probably at the request of Queen Elizabeth I. Legend has it that the queen so loved the character of Falstaff from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHenry IV\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e that she commanded Shakespeare to write a play showing Falstaff in love. The play is unique in Shakespeare's canon for its realistic English setting—Windsor, a real town—and its focus on middle-class domestic life rather than aristocrats and royalty. It is also Shakespeare's most purely farcical play, with a plot driven by slapstick and mistaken identity rather than poetic romance. The opera \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFalstaff\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e by Giuseppe Verdi (1893) is based on this play. Shakespeare's other major works include \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHamlet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHenry IV\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs You Like It\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Tempest\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. He died in 1616 at the age of 52 and is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Casa Carlini","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":54423236706676,"sku":null,"price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Ebook","offer_id":54423236739444,"sku":null,"price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":54423236772212,"sku":"9612921003599","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":54423236804980,"sku":"9612921003551","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0988\/5561\/6884\/files\/casa-carlini-simple-audiobook-the-merry-wives-of-windsor-53566707335540.png?v=1779965653","url":"https:\/\/casacarlini.com\/products\/the-merry-wives-of-windsor","provider":"Casa Carlini","version":"1.0","type":"link"}