Other editions of book The Merry Wives of Windsor

Love's Labour's Lost is a wonderful comedy written by a genius English poet and playwright William Shakespeare. The heroes’ prototypes of the play are Shakespeare’s contemporaries: French King Henry of Navarre who ascended the throne named as Henry IV (known in a play as Ferdinand), his first wife Marguerite de Valois, and his closest companions by their own names Marshal Biron, Duke Longueville and Duke Dumaine. It is believed that Shakespeare used a historical fact as a plot for this play – the meeting of Catherine de Medicis and the King Henry of Navarre which aimed to resolve some political issues. The playwright applied his fantasy which added intrigue and humour to this fact.

The unusual illustrations make this edition notable. The title page of the 1619 quarto (the False Folio): A most pleasant and excellent conceited comedy, of Sir John Falstaffe, and the merry wiues of Windsor. The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a reference to Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, and though nominally set in the reign of Henry IV, the play makes no pretence to exist outside contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life. It features the character Sir John Falstaff, the fat knight who had previously been featured in Henry IV Parts 1 and 2.

When a new play was required at short notice for a court occasion in 1597, Shakespeare created The Merry Wives of Windsor, a warm-hearted and spirited "citizen comedy" filled with boisterous action, situational irony, rich characterization--and the likes of Falstaff, Pistol, Mistress Quickly, and Justice Shallow. In his introduction and commentary, Craik examines a wide range of topics, including the play's probable occasion, its relationship to Shakespeare's English history plays and to other sources, its textual history, with particular reference to the widely diverging 1623 Folio and 1602 Quarto, and its quality as drama. In light of various topical, critical, and theatrical interpretations of the play, Craik pays particular attention to defining the literal sense, proposing some new readings, and evoking the many aspects of the stage business. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a reference to Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, and though nominally set in the reign of Henry IV, the play makes no pretence to exist outside contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life.