The Merry Wives of Windsor (Twayne's New Critical Introductions to Shakespeare) - Hardcover

White, R. S.; Shakespeare, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805787224 ISBN 13: 9780805787221

Publisher: Twayne Pub, 1991

Synopsis

Despite a consistent record of attracting appreciative audiences to the theater, The Merry Wives of Windsor has not received as much favorable criticism as it merits. Focusing on the unconventional Sir John Falstaff--one of Shakespeare's most vivid creations, best known for his role as confidant to Prince Hal in the Henry IV plays--this witty and satiric farce is perhaps Shakespeare's most realistic comedy. Comparing Falstaff's role in the two genres, many critics have found the comic characterization somewhat weak; by concentrating almost exclusively on this perceived failing, they have often missed the structural strengths and coherent design of the play.
R.S. White allusively draws on recent theories of literature, especially feminist criticism and reader-response theory, to illuminate and revalue this neglected play. Seeing Falstaff as a comic mirror of provincial society, he demonstrates how his behavior reflects the values of the town dwellers--notably, acquisitive capitalism and the tendency to treat women as property and marriage capital. His analysis reveals how Shakespeare's use of plot, character, and imperialist language highlights the political ramifications of the seemingly trivial story.
White also presents the operatic adaptations of the play by Nicolai, Verdi, and Vaughan Williams as significant readings of the original as well as independent masterpieces. His study provides a cogent introduction to the general problems of interpreting Shakespeare in the present day as well as a fresh and insightful account of The Merry Wives of Windsor.

About this title

Book Description

Like every other play in the Cambridge School Shakespeare series, The Merry Wives of Windsor has been specially prepared to help all students in schools and colleges. This version aims to be different from other editions of the play. It invites you to bring the play to life in your classroom through enjoyable activities that will help increase your understanding. You are encourage to make up your own mind about the play, rather than have someone else's interpretation handed down to you. Whatever you do, remember that Shakespeare wrote his plays to be acted, watched and enjoyed.

From the Back Cover

According to legend, Queen Elizabeth I was so delighted with the character of Sir John Falstaff in Henry IV, Parts I and II, that she commanded Shakespeare to create a romantic comedy depicting the jolly old rogue in love. The obedient playwright responded with The Merry Wives of Windsor, a lively and enduring farce that offers a humorous rebuff to lechery and hypocrisy.
Falstaff, whose greed and vanity overwhelm his good sense, determines to seduce a pair of well-to-do country housewives. The portly knight meets his match among the gentlewomen of Windsor, however, who counter his every stratagem with witty maneuvers of their own that expose Sir John's tomfoolery to public mirth. Familiar Shakespearean themes and devices—romance, jealousy, disguises, and mistaken identities—enrich the plot, along with a sparkling cast of supporting characters, including rival wooers, informers, and witty go-betweens.
Dover (2014) unabridged republication of a standard edition.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Twayne Pub
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0805787224
• ISBN 13: 9780805787221
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 93