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According to legend, Elizabeth I saw "Henry IV, Part I" and enjoyed the character of Falstaff so much that she commissioned Shakespeare to write a play showing Falstaff 'in love.' The Falstaff Queen Elizabeth saw at the first performance of this new play, was a thief down on his luck. One who devises ways to swindle money from wives and their unsuspecting husbands. The basis for Shakespeare's hilarious plot is the sufferings of this Falstaff, as he attempts (with a staggering lack of success) to seduce two resourceful women bent on teaching him a lesson.
Over the centuries, "The Merry Wives of Windsor" has proven to be one of Shakespeare's most popular plays and yet is uncharacteristic of his other comedies. By locating his play in Windsor, summer home to the English Court and bustling center for business and travelers, and by focusing on the lives of the English middle class, he offers us an impression of life as it was lived in his own time and place.
"The Merry Wives of Windsor" is an energetic comedy bursting with lust for life, eccentric characters and an exploration of the diversity of language. The story contains a whirlwind of activity - true love, false love, revenges, jealousies, deceptions, even cruelty are found in this play. Here no selfish act goes unpunished but as in all of Shakespeare's comedies, we always find forgiveness and acceptance. The play's essential philosophy is found in the text: "What cannot be eschewed, must be embraced."
I hope you will embrace this story with as much affection as we have while preparing it for your enjoyment.
Kate Buckley
Director
The University of Tennessee | College of Arts & Sciences | UTK Theatre Department | Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 | 865-974-5161
