William Shakespeare's comic encore for one of his best-loved characters - the rascally Falstaff from Henry IV and Henry V - The Merry Wives of Windsor is edited by G.R. Hibbard with an introduction by Catherine Richardson in Penguin Shakespeare.

'We'll leave a proof, by that which we will do,
Wives may be merry, and yet honest too'

In need of money, the fat and foolish Falstaff devises a scheme to seduce two married women and steal their husbands' wealth. By talking to each other, however, the wives soon discover his plan and begin to plot their own revenge. Relentlessly inventive, this comic humiliation of a foolish would-be seducer is a lively, compelling and ultimately joyous celebration of the all-conquering power of laughter.

This book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to The Merry Wives of Windsor, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.

'It never yet had reader or spectator, who did not think it too soon at end'
Samuel Johnson

About the Author

William Shakespeare was born in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and died in 1616. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.

Stanley Wells is Emeritus Professor of the University of Birmingham and Honorary President of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

G. R. Hibbard was Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Catherine Richardson is Reader in Renaissance Studies at the University of Kent.

Reviews
Praise for William Shakespeare: Complete Works

"Remarkable . . . makes Shakespeare's extraordinary accomplishment more vivid than ever."-James Shapiro, professor, Columbia University, bestselling author of A Year in the Life of Shakespeare: 1599

"A feast of literary and historical information."-The Wall Street Journal




Book Information
ISBN 9780141396576
Author William Shakespeare
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Penguin Classics
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 191g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 15mm