The Merry Wives of Windsor

Sir 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?

Shakespeare's only domestic comedy is a rollicking, slapstick, small-town farce, featuring his most beloved rogue in a scheme that backfires spectacularly.

Falstaff, the fat, witty, cowardly knight from the Henry IV 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.

This 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.

• Shakespeare's only comedy set in provincial England, not Italy or Illyria

• Written at the request of Queen Elizabeth I, who wanted to see Falstaff in love

• A masterclass in comic humiliation and the triumph of clever women over foolish men

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.

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• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.

A 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.

About the Author

William Shakespeare (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). The Merry Wives of Windsor 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 Henry IV 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 Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi (1893) is based on this play. Shakespeare's other major works include Hamlet, Henry IV, As You Like It, and The Tempest. He died in 1616 at the age of 52 and is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.