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When does The Merry Wives of Windsor take place?
Merry Wives is apparently coterminous with the Henry IV plays, given the presence of characters like Falstaff and Mistress Quickly, both of whom appeared in those works. Additionally, Master Page mentions as a cause of concern that Fenton “kept company with the wild Prince and Poins” (3.2.70–71). The reference here is to Prince Harry, the son of Henry IV and the future King Henry V. Thus, the play features several internal references that place the action somewhere in the first decade of the fifteenth century. That said, Shakespeare seems to depict a Windsor that belongs not to the medieval period but rather to the Elizabethan era. Thus, the play exists in a hybrid period that mixes the early fifteenth and late sixteenth centuries.
Why does Falstaff want to seduce Mistresses Ford and Page?
When Falstaff first arrives at the Garter Inn, he complains about having run out of funds. His companions, he says, are leeches who constantly steal from him. Of course, Falstaff is also notoriously bad with money, always spending too much to satisfy his enormous appetite for good food and a type of wine known as “sack.” Thus, he’s in dire need of money. But he has heard of two well-off locals whose wives are in full control of their domestic economies. He therefore comes up with a plan to seduce these women, with a vague notion that, in taking them to bed, he will also be able to extort cash from them and thereby replenish his coffers. As the play unfolds, however, Falstaff’s money troubles fade into the background, and he seems increasingly driven by lust.
Why does Doctor Caius seek a duel with Sir Hugh Evans?
In act 1, scene 4, Caius walks in on his maid, Mistress Quickly, when she’s entertaining a visit from Simple. It is well known in Windsor that Mistress Quickly spends a lot of time with Anne Page. Simple has therefore come to ask her to put in a good word with Anne about his master, Slender, who aims to marry her. When Caius learns the purpose of Simple’s visit, he grows furious—for he, too, longs for Anne’s hand in marriage. He therefore asks who sent Simple on this errand, and Simple explains that he came on Sir Hugh Evans’s wishes. Hearing this, Caius sits down to write a letter to challenge the Welsh parson to a duel.
What reason does Master Ford have to distrust his wife’s fidelity?
The only concrete reason Master Ford has to distrust his wife’s fidelity is the message he receives from Pistol, who informs him that Falstaff intends to seduce his wife. But this warning about Falstaff’s intentions says nothing about Mistress Ford’s honor. Master Page makes this point indirectly when he reveals that Nym gave him the same message about Mistress Page, but that he’s convinced his wife can take care of herself. The real reason for Ford’s jealousy is therefore a predisposition to jealousy, which he aggravates further by adopting the persona of “Master Brook” and meeting with Falstaff. However spurious they may be, Falstaff’s boastful claims about the progress of his seduction adds fuel to the fire of Ford’s jealous rage.
Why do Master and Mistress Page not want their daughter to marry Fenton?
Master and Mistress Page have different reasons for not wanting Anne to marry Fenton. Master Page suspects that Fenton only wants to marry his daughter for the money it will bring him. Despite being a gentleman with his own estate, he has run into financial troubles that have left him relatively poor, given the circumstances of his birth. It’s for this reason that he wants Anne to marry Slender who, though slight in intellect, has substantial wealth. Meanwhile, Mistress Page seems somewhat sympathetic to Anne’s desire for Fenton. However, she has her own ideas about what the best match for her daughter might be. For her, then, it’s less a matter of not wanting Anne to marry Fenton, and more a matter of her preference for the wealthy and well-connected Doctor Caius.
