The Merry Wives of Windsor Third Series

When a new play was required at short notice for a court occasion in 1597, Shakespeare created The Merry Wives of Windsor, a warm-hearted and spirited "citizen comedy" filled with boisterous action, situational irony, rich characterization--and the likes of Falstaff, Pistol, Mistress Quickly, and Justice Shallow. In his introduction and commentary, Craik examines a wide range of topics, including the play's probable occasion, its relationship to Shakespeare's English history plays and to other sources, its textual history, with particular reference to the widely diverging 1623 Folio and 1602 Quarto, and its quality as drama. In light of various topical, critical, and theatrical interpretations of the play, Craik pays particular attention to defining the literal sense, proposing some new readings, and evoking the many aspects of the stage business.

Giorgio Melchiori is Emeritus Professor of English Literature at the Università Roma Tre in Italy. His major publications include Shakespeare's Dramatic Meditations: An Experiment in Criticism; editions of King Henry IV Part 1 and King Edward III for the New Cambridge Shakespeare; an edition of Sir Thomas More (with Vittorio Gabrieli) for the Revels series; Shakespeare's Garter Plays: 'King Edward III' to 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'; and Joyce's Feast of Languages. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and Life Trustee of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. He was awarded a CBE in 1990.