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Go to My LibraryThe Oxford Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor
- Language
- English
- Published in
- Publisher
- OUP Oxford
- Pages
- 256
- ISBN
- 9780199536825
Subjects
Original edition details
Other editions (87)
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2006 • Penguin
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2006 • Echo Library
English
Merry Wives of Windsor
2010 • General Books LLC
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor In Plain and Simple English A Modern Translation and the Original Version
2012 • Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2020 • Simon and Schuster
English
Other editions
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2006 • Penguin
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2006 • Echo Library
English
Merry Wives of Windsor
2010 • General Books LLC
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor In Plain and Simple English A Modern Translation and the Original Version
2012 • Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2020 • Simon and Schuster
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1965 • Washington Square Press
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2018 • Wilder Publications
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2005 • eBooksLib
English
The Merry Wiues of Windsor
2003 • IndyPublish.com
English
Merry Wives of Windsor
1965 • Bt Bound
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Arkangel Shakespeare)
2005 • BBC Audiobooks America
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1971 • Bbc Pubns
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2005 • 1st World Publishing, Incorporated
English
The Merry Wives Of Windsor
2004 • Kessinger Publishing, LLC
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2007 • Wildside Press
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2003 • Cambridge University Press
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2019 • Wartelsteiner GmbH
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor Illustrated
2020 • Independently Published
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2007 • Wildside Press, LLC
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2010 • Akasha Classics
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2002 • IndyPublish.com
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2016 • CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (The Shakespeare Folios)
2008 • Nick Hern Books
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Webster's Thesaurus Edition)
2006 • ICON Group International, Inc.
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2002 • IndyPublish.com
English
The Merry Wiues of Windsor
2003 • IndyPublish.com
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1998 • Oxford University Press
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2018 • Max Bollinger
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2018 • CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2015 • National Geographic Books
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2005 • Penguin Adult
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1993 • Routledge
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2011 • Random House Publishing Group
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1922 • Yale University Press
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2011 • Simon and Schuster
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2018 • Read & Company Classics
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare
2009 • Cambridge University Press
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1973 • Penguin
English
Las alegres comadres de Windsor versión completa
2007 • Longseller
Spanish
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2006 • Echo Library
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2011 • Macmillan Education UK
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2007 • BiblioBazaar
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2007 • BiblioBazaar
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2006 • Echo Library
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Webster's Chinese-Traditional Thesaurus Edition)
2006 • ICON Group International, Inc.
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1995 • Leopard
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare Library Classic)
2007 • Filiquarian Publishing, LLC.
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1995 • Wordsworth Editions, Limited
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Webster's Chinese-Simplified Thesaurus Edition)
2006 • ICON Group International, Inc.
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Webster's Italian Thesaurus Edition)
2006 • ICON Group International, Inc.
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2010 • Cambridge University Press
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor: the 30-Minute Shakespeare
2010 • Nicolo Whimsey Press
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Webster's Korean Thesaurus Edition)
2006 • ICON Group International, Inc.
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Webster's German Thesaurus Edition)
2006 • ICON Group International, Inc.
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Webster's French Thesaurus Edition)
2006 • ICON Group International, Inc.
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Webster's Spanish Thesaurus Edition)
2006 • ICON Group International, Inc.
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1995 • Random House Value Publishing
English
Merry Wives Of Windsor (The New Folger Library Shakespeare)
1990 • Washington Square Press
English
Les Joyeuses Commeres de Windsor Bilingue
2005 • Les Belles Lettres
French
Las Esposas Alegres de Windsor
2006 • Losada
Spanish
Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor
2011 • Dt. Taschenbuch-Verlag
German
Las alegres casadas de Windsor
2002 • Editorial Norma
Spanish
Macbeth El mercader de Venecia ; Las alegres comadres de Windsor ; Julio César ; La tempestad : con notas preliminares y dos cronologías
2003 • Porrúa
Spanish
The First Sketch of Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor
2020 • HardPress
English
The merry wives of Windsor
2005 • ICON Classics
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2020 • Independently Published
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor Annotated
2020 • Independently Published
English
![Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor : Aus [Dramatische Werke] [Shakspeare's dramatische Werke], [Bd. 22]](https://images.isbndb.com/covers/1439073483296.jpg)
Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor : Aus [Dramatische Werke] [Shakspeare's dramatische Werke], [Bd. 22]
De Gruyter, Inc.
The merry wives of Windsor
2005 • ICON Classics
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (illustrated)
2020 • Independently Published
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Webster's Portuguese Thesaurus Edition)
2006 • ICON Group International, Inc.
English
![Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor : Aus: [Dramatische Werke] Shakspeare's dramatische Werke, Bd. 7](https://images.isbndb.com/covers/1516983483296.jpg)
Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor : Aus: [Dramatische Werke] Shakspeare's dramatische Werke, Bd. 7
De Gruyter, Inc.
The First Sketch of Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor
2020 • HardPress
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2020 • Independently Published
English
Two Marriages
2019 • HardPress
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor Large Print
2020 • Independently Published
English
![Die Lustigen Weiber Von Windsor: Aus: [Dramatische Werke] Shakspeare's Dramatische Werke, Bd. 7](https://images.isbndb.com/covers/20453493483295.jpg)
Die Lustigen Weiber Von Windsor: Aus: [Dramatische Werke] Shakspeare's Dramatische Werke, Bd. 7
1900 • De Gruyter, Inc.
German
The Merry Wives of Windsor ILLUSTRATED
2020 • Independently Published
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2019 • Wartelsteiner GmbH
English
The merry wives of Windsor
2005 • ICON Classics
English
The merry wives of Windsor
2005 • ICON Classics
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor Annotated (U. K Addition)
2020 • Independently Published
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2019 • Independently Published
English
The Merry Wives of Windsor
2020 • Independently Published
English
![Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor : Aus: [Dramatische Werke] [Shakspeare's dramatische Werke], [Bd. 22]](https://images.isbndb.com/covers/24269813483295.jpg)
Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor : Aus: [Dramatische Werke] [Shakspeare's dramatische Werke], [Bd. 22]
De Gruyter, Inc.
Lustigen Weiber Von Windsor
1850 • De Gruyter, Inc.
The Merry Wives of Windsor Large Print
2020 • Independently Published
English
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Rating Sources
The reviews highlight several positive aspects of The Merry Wives of Windsor, often praising its humor and accessibility. Many readers found the play highly entertaining, describing it as a "fast-paced romp" and a "jolly comedy" that successfully delivers laughs. A recurring point of appreciation is the strong female characters, Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, who are seen as "boss ass ladies" who take no nonsense and cleverly outsmart the arrogant Sir John Falstaff. Their wit and determination to defend their dignity and teach Falstaff a lesson resonated with many, making the play feel empowering and fun. Some reviewers found the dialogue fresh and entertaining, contributing to a sense of realism, and noted that the play is generally more accessible and easier to understand than some of Shakespeare's other works, making it a good choice for those looking for a lighter read. It is also suggested that the play truly shines in performance, with actors often having a great time with the material.
However, the play also receives significant criticism, primarily concerning its portrayal of Falstaff. Many reviewers familiar with his character from the Henry IV plays felt he was reduced to a "pale shadow," a "caricature," or "Falstaff Lite," lacking his usual depth and wit. This perceived decline often led to disappointment and a sense that Shakespeare's heart wasn't fully invested in the royal commission to write this play. Beyond Falstaff, critics found the overall plot dull, dreary, and less inspired, with some humor relying on "second-rate puns and third-rate malapropisms." The extensive use of prose over verse, coupled with archaic English colloquialisms, regionalisms, and phonetic accents for characters like the French physician and Welsh parson, made the text challenging and tedious for some to read, often requiring frequent reference to explanatory notes. Several reviewers concluded that it felt like a "throw-away" effort or one of Shakespeare's least entertaining and least popular plays.
In conclusion, The Merry Wives of Windsor elicits a mixed response, often seen as a lighter, more farcical entry in Shakespeare's canon. While it may not reach the poetic heights or thematic depth of his more celebrated works, it is appreciated by those who enjoy its broad humor, clever pranks, and the empowering narrative of its resourceful female leads. It is particularly recommended for readers seeking an accessible, fun, and less serious Shakespearean comedy, especially those who enjoy watching a pompous character receive his comeuppance. Those expecting the profound wit of Falstaff from other plays, or a deeply poetic experience, may find themselves underwhelmed, but readers open to a lighthearted, farcical romp will likely find it an enjoyable diversion.
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