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The Merry Wives of Windsor Summary | Play by William Shakespeare | Neb English Support Class 12
The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
Table of Contents
SHORT STORYLINE
The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
Falstaff tries his best to follow two married women; women are smart; they cast him in a river, dress him as a woman, and bring him to a haunted forest; everyone is joyous.
SHORT SUMMARY
The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
Falstaff plans to settle his financial woes by seducing the wives of two wealthy merchants. The wives discover that he sent them similar letters, and they retaliate by playing tricks on Falstaff when he calls. With the help of their husbands and friends, the wives make one last move into the woods to put an end to Falstaff's mischief.
DETAILED SUMMARY
The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
Act I
Justice Shallow, along with his young cousin Slender, arrive in Windsor. Shallow announces his aggression with Sir John Falstaff over a personal dispute. Hugh Evans, the local schoolmaster and parson, tries unsuccessfully to pacify him. He suggests that the young Slender pursue Mistress Anne Page. After a visit to Page's house, Shallow confronts Falstaff, who admits his wrongdoing.
Later, at the Garter Inn, Falstaff reveals his resolve to pursue the wives of two wealthy merchants, Page and Ford. When his companions, Nim and Pistol, refuse to help him, he sends each of the wives his page with a letter. Meanwhile, Nim and Pistol decide to tell the husbands about Falstaff's plot.
Act II
Both wives meet and compare their letters, and they come to know that they are identical. They decide to teach a lesson to Falstaff. To begin with, they invite Falstaff to come over to Mistress Ford's house while her husband is out shooting birds with his friends. Pistol and Nim inform her husband, Ford, regarding Falstaff's intentions. Jealous Ford, distrustful of his wife, plans to catch her in her infidelity. He disguises himself as a man named Master Brooke, seeks out Falstaff, and later declares his love for Mistress Ford. He bribes Falstaff to follow her on his behalf. Falstaff agrees to his condition before revealing that a meeting has already been arranged. This makes Ford even angrier at his wife.
Act III
Parson Evans befriends Slender, who is now seeking the affection of Page's daughter, Anne. Anne, meanwhile, has already been secretly meeting with Mr. Fenton since her father disapproves of her. Anne's mother wishes that French doctor Caius would become Anne's husband. When Caius learns of Slender's rival suit, he challenges Parson Evans to a duel. The hosts of the Garter Inn set different meeting locations to confuse the antagonists. Finally, they are persuaded to set aside their differences.
Act IV
When Falstaff arrives at Mrs. Ford's house, he starts a flirtation. But he is interrupted when Mistress Page declares that the men are coming back. They do their best to convince Falstaff to hide him in a large laundry basket, and he is carried to the river while Ford ransacks the house in search of him. The happy wives decide to do the trick again (especially after seeing the jealous Ford's reaction) and invite Falstaff to call once again.
Despite being stranded on a muddy riverbank during the earlier voyage, Falstaff is persuaded to accept Brook, who is the disguised Ford. As in the first incident, he is interrupted by the return of Ford. This time, however, both women convince Falstaff to disguise himself in the clothes of a servant's elderly aunt, while Ford searches the contents of the linen basket. It is revealed that Ford hates the elderly aunt that Falstaff is impersonating, and he begins to kick Falstaff out of the house, much to the delight of the wives.
When successful in their endeavours, the wives reveal the bluff to their husbands. Page suggests that Falstaff be publicly humiliated in order to stop his attempts to seduce honest women. They arrange one last prank for the whole community.
Act V
Mistress Ford invites Falstaff to meet her at Windsor Park during the night, with him disguised as Herne the Hunter. They plan to scare him with children dressed as fairies. Parson Evans organises Anne, her brother, and the other children to carry out the plan. Anne uses the opportunity to run away with Fenton, while both her mother and father plot for Anne to be stolen away by their respective suitors of choice (Caius and Slender).
All of them meet in the woods, and when Anne runs away, the fairies tease and pinch Falstaff. Falstaff gets ideas about the plot and feels he deserves his punishment. He pursues relationships with Page, Ford, and their wives, while Ford is also reprimanded for untrusting his wife. Anne marries Fenton, while Caius and Slender realise they ran away with the boys, whom they mistook for Anne, in the dark woods. Both Page and Mistress Page accept Fenton as their new son-in-law, and all of them return home laughing over the night's activities.
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