The Merry Wives of Windsor facts for kids
The Merry Wives of Windsor is a funny play written by the famous English writer William Shakespeare. It's a comedy, which means it has a happy ending and lots of laughs! This play was first performed around the years 1600 or 1601. It was then printed for everyone to read in 1602.
Most of Shakespeare's plays were based on older stories. But The Merry Wives of Windsor is special because Shakespeare made up the whole story himself! There's a popular legend that Queen Elizabeth I really loved the character of Falstaff. She wanted to see him in a new adventure, especially one where he tried to find love. So, she supposedly asked Shakespeare to write this play just for her!
Contents
Meet the Main Characters
The play features some memorable characters who bring the story to life:
- Sir John Falstaff: An old, overweight, and often broke knight.
- Mistress Ford: One of the clever women of Windsor.
- Mistress Page: The other smart woman of Windsor.
What's the Story About?
The story follows Sir John Falstaff, who is a bit of a trickster. He's always looking for easy money. In this play, he tries to get money from two wealthy ladies in Windsor, England. These ladies are Mistress Ford and Mistress Page.
However, the two "merry wives" are very smart. They quickly figure out Falstaff's sneaky plans. Instead of falling for his tricks, they decide to play some tricks on him! They come up with funny ways to get back at him. One famous scene involves Falstaff hiding in a basket of dirty laundry. He does this to avoid the ladies' husbands. But then, he gets dumped into a river!
There's also a side story about a young woman. She wants to marry the man she loves. She has to convince her parents to let her marry him, even though they have other ideas for her future.
Plays and Operas Based on the Story
The Merry Wives of Windsor has been very popular over the years. Many other artists have created new works based on Shakespeare's play. These include several operas, which are plays set to music. Some famous operas based on this story are:
- Falstaff (1799) by Antonio Salieri
- The Merry Wives of Windsor (1849) by Carl Otto Nicolai
- Falstaff (1893) by Giuseppe Verdi
- Sir John in Love (1929) by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Images for kids
-
A watercolour of Act III, Scene iii: Falstaff wooing Mistress Ford.
-
The title page from a 1565 printing of Giovanni Fiorentino's 14th century tale, Il Pecorone.
-
The first page of The Merry Wives of Windsor, printed in the Second Folio of 1632
-
A 1902 illustration done for Herbert Beerbohm Tree's coronation revival, featuring Ellen Terry as Mistress Page, Margaret Kendal as Mistress Ford, and Tree himself as Falstaff.
-
A scene from the original production of Verdi's Falstaff (1893) as depicted by artist Ettore Tito.
-
Mistress Page (Julie Hughett) and Falstaff (John Rousseau) in The Merry Wives of Windsor, staged by Pacific Repertory Theatre at the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel, California, in 1999.
See also
In Spanish: Las alegres comadres de Windsor para niños
