The Merry Wives of Windsor (drama)

1902 illustration with Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Falstaff, Ellen Terry as Mistress Page and Madge Kendal as Mistress Ford.

The Merry Wives of Windsor (Engl. The Merry Wives of Windsor ) is a comedy by William Shakespeare . The play is about Sir John Falstaff , who, in total overestimation of his effect on women, promises marriage to two and then cheats them out of their money. When the dizziness is exposed, the women lure Falstaff into the trap several times. The work was probably written in 1597/98 and appeared for the first time in 1602 in an unauthorized version as a quarto. Shakespeare may have used the story Il Pecorone by Giovanni Fiorentino from 1558 or a novella from the collection Merry Nights by Giovanni Francesco Straparola from 1551 as source. The first performance is assumed to be in 1597, the earliest evidence dates to the 4th November 1604. The piece is little appreciated by the critics, but enjoys unbroken popularity with the public.

action

Act I.

[Scene 1] Judge Shallow, his nephew Abraham Slender, and Pastor Evans meet on the street in Windsor and discuss heraldry. The justice of the peace is outraged by Falstaff's scandalous behavior. The pastor tries to calm him down and suggests that Page's daughter Anne be married off to Slender. They go to Master Page, where they find Falstaff. There Shallow charges that Falstaff beat his people, killed his game and broke into his hunting lodge . Slender also accuses the servants of Falstaff, Bardolph, Pistol and Nym of robbing him while drunk. While Falstaff admits his actions, his comrades deny. All four claim, however, that the injured party was still lucky, because one could have done more. Maiden Anne Page, Mistress Ford, and Mistress Page enter the meeting. Master Slender immediately adores the maid. Sir John tries to charm the older women. Master Page, Sir John, his cronies and the ladies go into the house, leaving the three accusers alone on the street. The gentlemen urge Slender to hold the maid's hand. The maid Anne comes out again and invites the gentlemen to dinner. Justice of the Peace Shallow and Pastor Evans go ahead, leaving the young people alone. Slender tries to show his interest to Maiden Anne. To create an impression, he tells her about the bear Sackerson. Finally Master Page comes to ask them both to dinner. [Scene 2] Pastor Evans hands Peter Simple, Slender's servant, a letter for Mistress Quickley, the housekeeper of French doctor Dr. Cajus. [Scene 3] At the Garter Inn, Falstaff tells Pistol and Nym that he is going to seduce Mistress Ford, who has her husband's money. Falstaff presents a letter to Mistress Ford and another to Mistress Page, whom he also wants to approach. But Pistol and Nym refuse to deliver the letters to the ladies. When Falstaff dismisses them from his service, they swear betrayal and vengeance. [Scene 4] At Dr. Cajus, who is also interested in Anne, tells Simpel that Evans sent him to ask Ms. Quickly to put in a word for Slender with Anne. Then Dr. Cajus, he will challenge Pastor Evans to fight.

Act II

[Scene 1] Mistress Page and Mistress Ford discover that each of them has received the same love letter from Falstaff. The two therefore want to play their game with Falstaff. Pistol reveals to Master Ford and Nym Master Page that Falstaff is after his wife. Judge Shallow and the landlord have fun with the two duelists Dr. Cajus and Pastor Evans. You take the two of them to different locations for the duel. Ford, who, contrary to Page, believes Falstaff's servant and is now jealous of his wife, persuades the landlord to introduce him to Falstaff in disguise as Master Brook. [Scene 2] Pistol wants money from Falstaff, who refuses and curses him and dismisses the bandit from his service. Mistress Quickly tells Falstaff from Mrs. Ford that her husband will be out the next morning. She explains in detail what it is like when the farm resides in Windsor . According to prior agreement between the landlord and Master Ford, Bardolph presents this Falstaff under the false name Brooke. This Brooke gives Falstaff money for Falstaff to woo Mistress Ford for him and he replies that he will visit her the next morning anyway. After Falstaff's departure, Ford closes the scene with a monologue in which his jealousy grows to the ridiculous and immeasurable. [Scene 3] Meanwhile, Dr. Cajus together with his servant John Rugby on the field at first unsuccessfully to Pastor Evans, since the landlord has given both of them another meeting point. The landlord comes along with Judge Shallow, Master Slender and George Page and drives his jokes with Dr. Cajus. Finally they head to Frogmore to meet Pastor Evans.

Act III

[Scene 1] Pastor Evans is waiting for his duel near Frogmore. He is so afraid of Cajus, who is being talked about as a brave sword fighter, that he desperately sings songs to encourage himself. When Dr. Caius arrives and both want to attack each other, they are disarmed by Judge Shallow and George Page. The landlord tells them to leave their skin intact and prefer to make minced meat from the English language. They recognize the host's cunning and are reconciled. [Scene 2] Falstaff's Page Robin is on the way to Ms. Ford with Mrs. Page. On the way they meet Mr. Ford, who knows about Falstaff's appointment with his wife and therefore meets with Mr. Page, Master Slender, Judge Shallow, the landlord, pastor Evans and Dr. Caius and his servant have agreed to meet rugby for dinner, just as his wife is expecting the fat knight. [Scene 3] At the specified time, Falstaff approaches Ms. Ford. Then Mrs. Page appears with the news that Mr. Ford is on his way with all his friends from Windsor to look for a gentleman who is in the house. Falstaff is hidden in the laundry basket with dirty laundry above him, two servants carry the basket out. When Ford searches the house, he cannot find Falstaff. [Scene 4] Fenton and Anne Page meet outside their home. Anne's father doesn't value him as a candidate for Anne's marriage because he has no money. But Anne urges him to try to win her father's favor. Judge Shallow, his nephew Slender and wife Quickly appear. Slender, favored by Page as a candidate for marriage, makes a clumsy approach to Anne. Ms. Page, on the other hand, prefers Dr. Cajus for your daughter. [Scene 5] A soaked Falstaff enters the Garter Inn. He was thrown from the laundry basket into the Thames by the servants. Nevertheless, he agrees when Mrs. Quickly informs him that Mrs. Ford would like to see him again in the evening. He tells Ford disguised as Brooke about the incident with the laundry basket and his next appointment with Mrs. Ford.

Act IV

[Scene 1] Pastor Evans gives a Latin lesson to little William, the Page's son, in the presence of Ms. Quickly. [Scene 2] After Falstaff arrives at Ms. Ford for his second attempt, Ms. Page appears again with the news that an angry Ford is on the way to the house. Since Falstaff is unwilling to hide in the laundry basket again, Mrs. Ford suggests that he put on the clothes of her maid's fat aunt, who, however, which Falstaff does not know, Mr. Ford hates. When Ford shows up with his entourage and sees the supposed aunt, he beats Falstaff and chases him out of the house. Pastor Evans noticed that the old lady had a beard. Ford and his friends search the house for Falstaff in vain. [Scene 3] Bardolph reports to the landlord that his German guests want to borrow three horses from him to meet a German duke at court. The landlord is astonished because he has never heard of any German duke at court. [Scene 4] Ms. Ford and Ms. Page agree that the best thing about Falstaff would be to expose him publicly. They then let their men in on their plan to humiliate Falstaff. They want to get Falstaff to appear disguised as Geist Herne at the old oak, then their sons and daughters are to pinch him disguised as elves and goblins. If Falstaff admits his dishonorable intentions, this will be a mockery of him in Windsor. Mr and Mrs Page see the event as an opportunity for their favorite Slender and Dr. Cajus can run away with Anne when everyone is in disguise. [Scene 5] Bardolph reports to the landlord that his German guests stole his horses, that they rode like three German devils, almost like three Doctor Faustuses. He learns from Pastor Evans that the three Germans are well-known dodgers and that Dr. Caius can assure you that there is no German duke at court. The innkeeper went furiously to pursue the Germans. Mrs. Quickly convinces the beaten up Falstaff that there is still hope in affairs of love. [Scene 6] Fenton convinces the landlord to help him in his attempt to secretly marry Anne Page.

Act V

[Scene 1] Falstaff declares to Ms. Quickly for the third time that she is ready to meet Ms. Ford and again tells the supposed Brooke about it in advance. [Scene 2] Mr. Page reveals to Judge Shallow and his nephew Slender that his daughter is wearing a white disguise. Slender just needs to speak to her and the wedding is settled. [Scene 3] Ms. Ford and Ms. Page betray Dr. Caius that Anne Page will come to Herne-Eiche in green disguise. Caius will recognize her and bring her to the parsonage for the wedding. [Scene 4] Pastor Evans arrives disguised as a satyr, accompanied by William Page and other children disguised as elves. [Scene 5] At midnight, Falstaff comes to the old oak disguised as Herne with horns on his head. Then the women Ford and Page first appear and flatter Falstaff, who sees himself at the goal of his wishes again. Then come the disguised children led by Pastor Evans, circling Falstaff and pinching. Miss Quickly, disguised as an elf queen, gives an eulogy for the Order of the Garter. Abraham Slender sneaks in with a white clad, Dr. Caius leaves with a boy dressed in green, whom they take to be Anne, but she escapes with Fenton. When the children are gone, Ford and Page approach and accuse Falstaff of trying to seduce their wives. Ford reveals that he was Brooke and says he will take Falstaff's horses in replacement for the money he gave him as Brooke. Then Slender comes and declares that he had come to a country church and had to discover that he ran away with a boy. Then follows Dr. Cajus and announces that he was also married to a boy. Finally, Anne and Fenton appear, who explains that they have loved each other for a long time and have now decided on their bond. Everyone goes to a party to which Falstaff is invited.

Text history

Title page of the first quarto from 1602.

There are three early printed editions of the piece . The piece was entered in the ledger of the London booksellers on January 18, 1602. The first printing took place in 1602 as a single edition in quarto format and is called Q1. The printer of the first edition was [T] homas [C] reede and the editor was Arthur Johnson. In 1619 William Jaggard made an unauthorized reprint of the first quarto. It contains falsified information and is part of the so-called False Folio . This print edition is called Q2. In 1623 "Merry Wives of Windsor" was included in the first Shakespeare work edition . This text is called F1. The shorter first quarto is generally believed to be an unauthorized text. Therefore, the modern text editions are based on the folio version, in individual cases the four-high is used for corrections. The forged quarto from 1619 is not granted any authority of its own.

Text output

Total expenditure

• Charlton Hinman, Peter WM Blayney (Ed.): The Norton Facsimile. The First Folio of Shakespeare. Based on the Folios in the Folger Library Collection. 2nd edition, WW Norton, New York 1996, ISBN 0-393-03985-4
• John Jowett, William Montgomery, Gary Taylor, Stanley Wells (Eds.): The Oxford Shakespeare. The Complete Works. 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2005, ISBN 978-0-19-926718-7
• Jonathan Bate , Eric Rasmussen (Eds.): William Shakespeare Complete Works. The RSC Shakespeare , Macmillan Publishers 2008, ISBN 978-0-230-20095-1

English

• Giorgio Melchiori (Ed.): William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor. The Arden Shakespeare. Third Series. Bloomsbury, London 2000, ISBN 978-1-904271-12-3
• Thomas Wallace Craik (Ed.): William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor. The Oxford Shakespeare. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1990, ISBN 978-0-19-953682-5
• David Crane (Ed.): William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor. The New Cambridge Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2010, ISBN 978-0-521-14681-4

English German

• Rudolf Bader (Ed.): William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor. English-German study edition. Stauffenburg, Tübingen 2000, ISBN 3-86057-559-7 .
• Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-423-12759-2

literature

Lexicons

• Michael Dobson , Stanley Wells (Eds.): The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition, Oxford 2015, ISBN 978-0-19-870873-5 ,

Overview representations

• Margareta de Grazia, Stanley Wells (Ed.): The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2001, ISBN 978-0-521-65881-2
• Ina Schabert (Ed.): Shakespeare Handbook. Time, man, work, posterity. 5th, revised and supplemented edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-520-38605-2 .
• Ulrich Suerbaum : Shakespeare's Dramas. A. Francke, Basel 2001, ISBN 3-8252-1907-0

Introductions

• Harold Bloom : Shakespeare. The invention of the human. Berlin Verlag, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-8270-0325-3
• Anthony D. Cousins: Shakespeare. The Essential Guide to the Plays. Firefly, Buffalo 2011, ISBN 978-1-55407-928-5
• Andrew Dickson: The Rough Guide to Shakespeare. 2nd edition, Penguin, New York 2007, ISBN 978-1-85828-443-9
• Ulrich Suerbaum: The Shakespeare Guide. Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3-15-017663-4 . (3rd rev. Edition 2015, ISBN 978-3-15-020395-8 ).

Web links

Commons : The Merry Wives of Windsor  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• MIT, English, Arden Version Merry Wives of Windsor
• Zeno-Org = Schlegel-Tieck version The merry women of Windsor
• British Library Shakespeare in Quartos Merry Wives of Windsor, 1st Quarto 1602.

supporting documents

Note on the citation of the literature used.

The text of Shakespeare's “The Merry Wives of Windsor” is quoted from Frank Günther's annotated bilingual edition. In individual cases, reference is made to the academic bilingual edition by Rudolf Bader. If necessary, the New Cambridge edition by David Crane is cited in parallel. Wherever it appeared sensible or was referred to, the page number of Bader's detailed comment is also given. The text of the bilingual edition by Günther follows the second Arden edition from 1971. The text of the English-German study edition follows the Complete Pelican Shakespeare. As usual, the New Cambridge edition is folio-based. The number "I, 1, 118" means: 1st act, 1st scene, line 118.

1. ^ Giovanni Francesco Straparola: Enjoyable Nights . Kurt Desch, Munich 1947, chap. 3: The student Philenio Sisterna is fooled by three beautiful women in Bologna. Occasionally, however, at a festival that he gives for this purpose, he takes revenge on everyone. ( Project Gutenberg - Italian: Le piacevoli notti, Notte II, Favola II: Philenio Sisterna scolare in Bologna vien da tre belle donne beffato, et egli con una finta festa di ciascheduna si vendica . Venice 1551. Translated by Hanns Floerke).
2. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. I, 1, 15-31.
3. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. I, 1, 51.
4. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. I, 1, 115-118.
5. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. I, 1, 170.
6. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. I, 1, 271.
7. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. I, 2, 1-12.
8. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. I, 3, 85.
9. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. I, 4, 101f.
10. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. II, 1, 108 and 132.
11. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. II, 1, 197.
12. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. II, 1, 203f.
13. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. II, 2, 1-27.
14. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. II, 2, 56-74.
15. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. II, 2, 250.
16. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. II, 2, 276-302.
17. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. II, 3, 1-16.
18. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. II, 3, 25-27; 31; 52f.
19. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. II, 3, 80f.
20. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. III, 1, 16-20.
21. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. III, 1, 71f.
22. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. III, 1, 1.
23. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. III, 2, 1.
24. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. III, 3, 1.
25. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. III, 4, 1.
26. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. III, 5, 1.
27. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. IV, 1, 1.
28. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. IV, 2, 1.
29. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. IV, 3, 1.
30. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. IV, 4, 1.
31. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. IV, 5, 1.
32. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. IV, 6, 1.
33. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. V, 1, 1.
34. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. V, 2, 1.
35. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. V, 3, 1.
36. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. V, 4, 1.
37. ↑ Frank Günther (ed.): William Shakespeare: The funny women of Windsor. Bilingual edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2011. V, 5, 1.
38. ^ Rudolf Bader (ed.): William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor. English-German study edition. Stauffenburg, Tübingen 2000. p. 13.
39. ↑ David Crane (Ed.): William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor. The New Cambridge Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2010. p. 161.
40. ↑ David Crane (Ed.): William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor. The New Cambridge Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2010. p. 37.