The Merry Wives of Windsor (3rd Series) [Hardcover]

William Shakespeare (Author), Giorgio Melchiori (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Arden Shakespeare. Third Series | Publication Date: December 23, 1999

"The Merry Wives of Windsor", Shakespeare's only thoroughly English comedy, created an archetypal literary figure in the shape of the devious, irrepressible John Falstaff. This stimulating new edition celebrates the play as a joyous exploration of language, but also places elements of its plot firmly in a continental, specifically Italian, tradition of romantic comedy. It draws out the complexities of Merry Wives as a multi-plot play, and takes a fresh and challenging look at both textual and dating issues. The play's extensive performance history, both dramatic and operatic, is fully explored and discussed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...wonderfully informative introdutory essay." Studies in English Literature --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

This new edition of Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor focuses at every point on a theatrical understanding of the play. While emphasising the liveliness of the play in stage terms, David Crane also claims that this citizen comedy needs to be taken much more seriously than in the past, as an expression of Shakespeare's fundamental understanding of human life, conveyed centrally in the character of Falstaff. In the process he also examines Shakespeare' free and vigorous use of different linguistic worlds within the play. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 364 pages
• Publisher: Arden Shakespeare (December 23, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0174435614
• ISBN-13: 978-0174435617
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,470,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Witty & Fun, December 2, 2002

By 

Chris Salzer (Gainesville, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare, Pelican) (Paperback)

Shakespeare, considering he wrote this little gem of a comedy in a mere 14 days for the Virgin Queen, pulls off a play that proves both witty and fun. Unequivocally, The Merry Wives of Windsor makes for a more enjoyable play if seen live. Nonetheless, reading it is the 2nd best thing.

Sir John Falstaff is once again such a fool - but a lovable and hilarious one at that. Having read Henry V - where Falstaff ostensibly had met his end - I was pleased to see him so alive(pardon the pun) in this short, albeit clever play. It is no surprise that The Merry Wives of Windsor enjoyed such a long and successful stage run during Shakespeare's day and continues to be one of his most popularly staged plays. Recommended as a fun break from the more serious and murderous Shakespearean tragedies.

"Why, then the world's mine oyster,
Which I with sword will open." - Pistol

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sure Fire Theater, March 10, 2006

By 

playscribbler (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Folger Shakespeare Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

This play is odd in that critics hate it, but theater companies love it. Harold Bloom's contempt for this play is so great that he refused to discuss it in his book on Shakespeare. But, unlike some of Shakespeare's less popular plays, Merry Wives is performed frequently in Shakespeare festivals across the land.

You really have to see this play to understand how well it works on the stage. Played by an energetic cast it is hilarious situation comedy and easily understandable by people unfamiliar with Shakespeare. When Falstaff says at the end, with deadpan delivery, "I do begin to perceive that I am made an ass," it brings down the house. Just reading the play in your living room, you will probably miss much of the humor.

Shakespeare was a man of the theater. He wrote for production, with little thought given to publication in his lifetime. You have to see his plays performed to get a measure of his theatrical genius.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not hilarious, but very funny!, March 8, 2000

By 

Sean Ares Hirsch - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Wordsworth Classics) (Paperback)

Allright. Maybe as far as the comedies go, I was spoiled by the exquisite comical masterpiece "The Comedy of Errors." But this is without a doubt my 2nd favorite comedy. I can not help but simultaneously laugh and feel sorry for poor Ford when he suspects his wife is interested in Falstaff and goes into his jealous rages. One scene I could not forget if I tried is when Ford feels bad for suspecting his wife, is humiliated in front of everyone, and apologizes.Only a bit later he finds his wife was with Falstaff and she has another arranged meeting with him! But this is only a small part of the many laughs that await. Shakespeare only had a few days to write this play, but this shows that even under pressure he wrote great!