The Merry Wives of Windsor

by William Shakespeare

Sir John Falstaff and his cronies, Bardolph, Nym and Pistol, are in Windsor making trouble. Falstaff has managed to annoy the local justice, Shallow, with his antics.

George Page has an attractive young daughter named Anne, who is poised to inherit some money. The parson, Sir Huge Evans, visits the Page household, as he hopes to facilitate a marriage between Anne and Shallow’s nephew Abraham Slender, who proves to be a foolish and timid suitor.

Despite the fact that Anne has some affection for another young gentleman named Fenton, Evans enlists the help of Mistress Quickly, asking her to encourage Anne to marry Slender. Mistress Quickly is Dr. Caius’s housekeeper. He, too, wants to marry Anne and challenges the parson to a duel.

Falstaff needs money. He plans to seduce both Mistress Page and Mistress Ford (the merry wives of the title), who control the purse strings in their households. Bardolph and Nym refuse to convey letters Falstaff has written to the ladies, so he sends his page Robin. In retaliation, Pistol and Nym decide to tell Ford about Falstaff’s plan. Ford, a jealous man, hits upon a plan: He will masquerade as “Brook,” another admirer of Mistress Ford’s, and spy on Falstaff.

Mistresses Ford and Page—honest, intelligent and loyal to their husbands—are insulted by the letters and plan a lively revenge of their own. Pretending to welcome his attentions, the wives contrive to humiliate Falstaff by making him hide from Ford in a large basket of laundry, which gets dumped in the river. In the midst of all this activity, the Pages have had time to discuss their daughter’s suitors: He likes Slender, she prefers Caius. Neither favors Fenton.

It has suddenly become very busy in this quiet little town. Page, disguised as “Brook” finds out what Falstaff is up to. Angry, he plans to get back at Falstaff and his wife.

Mistresses Ford and Page decide to humiliate Falstaff again—by forcing him to dress as an old woman whom Ford particularly detests. Ford beats “her” out of the house.

The final humiliation is the most elaborate one of all and involves everyone—including Page and Ford—in Windsor. The wives tell Falstaff to meet them both at midnight by an ancient oak in the forest of Windsor. He is to come, dressed as Herne the Hunter, wearing stag antlers. When he does, the townsfolk, starting with the children, will emerge from hiding disguised as fairies and pinch him until he confesses to what he has done (or tried to do). The masquerade in the forest provides other opportunities: It gives Anne and Fenton the chance to steal away and get married.

It all works out, for the most part. Falstaff gets the comeuppance he deserves; Anne gets Fenton; and Page and Ford get the smart, trustworthy women they married in the first place. Unfortunately, Caius and Slender, who thought they were eloping with Anne during the festivities, find out that they’ve been tricked by two local boys disguised as her. No matter. It all ends happily with everyone, including Falstaff, invited to a celebration at the Fords’ house.