The Complete Merry Wives of Windsor

<p>One critic of the Merry Wives of Windsor argues that “no longer does Shakespeare endow the fat knight [Falstaff] with the nimble wit that enabled him in the earlier plays to extricate himself from every embarrassing situation” (Wright xii). The result is a “fast-paced farce” (Green Introduction lxiv) which “bears traits of Italian comedy” (Green lxviii). Bate agrees that “the play is Shakespeare’s nearest approach to farce or sitcom” (Introduction ix). </p><p>There are obvious oversights in the play which may argue for its hasty composition at the behest of Queen Elizabeth. However as Green writes “Surely Shakespeare deserves some forgiveness for the abundance of loose ends in the play” lxxvi). Certainly no Midsummer Night’s Dream the Merry Wives of Windsor does propound a pleasant evening at the theatre.</p>