The Merry Wives of Windsor

THE DUBUQUE SHAKESPEARE PROJECT
at the Carnegie Stout Library, Dubuque, IA
Fall 2025
REINVENTING COMEDY

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Synopsis: Shakespeare’s only full play to be set in contemporary England, Merry Wives borrows Falstaff and other characters from Henry IV’s Eastcheap and throws them into suburban small town Windsor. Falstaff tries to seduce the titular wives, but the smart wives know just how to play him. A list of suitors to young Anne provides the second plot to add to the mayhem.

Discussion Topics:
• In the city comedies of Elizabethan theatre, good wives resisted seduction while the merry wives gave in. Shakespeare subverts both by changing the location and the nature of the merry wives in this play. How does this help build the comedy in the play?
• The tension between city life and country life is explored by introducing Falstaff as an interloper into the Windsor community. How does Shakespeare develop this theme and provide resolution? Consider Falstaff’s attitude at the beginning and at the end.
• Besides being fat and exhibiting linguistic flourish, the Falstaff of Merry Wives has little in common with the witty Falstaff of Henry IV. What aspects are still retained and how does this help this character fit into the genial world of this play?
• The comedies allow Shakespeare to create some of his most complex women, who also drive the plot. The titular merry wives, Anne Page and Mistress Quickly are all sharply etched and prove to be the plot engines, sometimes even working against each other. Consider these characters by themselves and in relation to their setting.
• Often called a modern play (as in reflecting current ‘mode’), Merry Wives presents a wealth of detail about contemporary Elizabethan England. What aspects stand out about this time and place and what aspect still resonate with us today?

Folger Text Link:
https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/the-merry-wives-of-windsor/
Kanopy Film link: https://www.kanopy.com/en/dubuque/video/930979

Other resources to consider:
The Merry Wives of Windsor, 2005 Globe production. https://www.kanopy.com/en/dubuque/video/102821
Falstaff. Opera by Giuseppe Verdi.

Sep 14, 2025 2 PM

Carnegie-Stout Public Library 360 W 11th Street, Dubuque, IA