The Merry Wives of Windsor (The New Cambridge Shakespeare)

The New Cambridge Shakespeare appeals to students worldwide for its up-to-date scholarship and emphasis on performance. The series features line-by-line commentaries and textual notes on the plays and poems. Introductions are regularly refreshed with accounts of new critical, stage and screen interpretations. In this second edition of Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor David Crane emphasises the liveliness of the play in stage terms. He also claims that this citizen comedy was an expression of Shakespeare's fundamental understanding of human life, conveyed centrally in the character of Falstaff. In the process he examines Shakespeare's free and vigorous use of different linguistic worlds. An account of the play's textual history concludes that at the time of its earliest performances Shakespeare's text was being adapted to specific theatrical needs, and as much in the possession of its players as of its author. This New Edition Of Shakespeare's The Merry Wives Of Windsor Focuses On A Theatrical Understanding Of The Play. While Emphasising The Liveliness Of The Play In Stage Terms, David Crane Also Claims That This Citizen Comedy Needs To Be Taken Much More Seriously Than In The Past, As An Expression Of Shakespeare's Fundamental Understanding Of Human Life, Conveyed Centrally In The Character Of Falstaff. In The Process He Also Examines Shakespeare's Free And Vigorous Use Of Different Linguistic Worlds Within The Play. The Revision Of This Edition Includes A Response To Some Current Arguments About The Dating Of Merry Wives, And Also Considers How Recent Productions Bear Upon The Critical And Theatrical Account Crane Gives Of The Play--provided By Publisher. Introduction -- The Date And First Occasion Of The Play -- The World Of The Play -- Some Moments In The Play -- The Play On The Stage -- Recent Critical And Stage Interpretations -- Note On The Text -- List Of Characters -- The Play -- Textual Analysis -- Reading List. Edited By David Crane. Includes Bibliographical References.

This new edition of Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor focuses on a theatrical understanding of the play. While emphasising the liveliness of the play in stage terms, David Crane also claims that this citizen comedy needs to be taken much more seriously than in the past, as an expression of Shakespeare's fundamental understanding of human life, conveyed centrally in the character of Falstaff. In the process he also examines Shakespeare's free and vigorous use of different linguistic worlds within the play. The revision of this edition includes a response to some current arguments about the dating of Merry Wives, and also considers how recent productions bear upon the critical and theatrical account Crane gives of the play.

frontmatter C O N T E N T S List of illustrations Preface List of abbreviations and conventions Introduction 9780511845284.003 9780511845284.004 act-1-scene-1-2010 9780511845284.006 9780511845284.007 9780511845284.008 act-2-scene-1-2010 9780511845284.010 9780511845284.011 9780511845284.012 9780511845284.013 9780511845284.014 9780511845284.015 9780511845284.016 9780511845284.017 9780511845284.018 9780511845284.019 9780511845284.020 9780511845284.021 9780511845284.022 9780511845284.023 9780511845284.024 9780511845284.025 9780511845284.026 9780511845284.027 9780511845284.028 9780511845284.029 This second edition of The Merry Wives of Windsor focuses at every point on a theatrical understanding of the play. It includes a response to some current arguments about the dating of the play and brings the stage history up to date, showing how recent productions convey the central character of Falstaff. When Falstaff meets Mistresses Page and Ford, two married women said to control their own financial affairs, he writes identical love letters to each of them, never imagining that they will compare notes. When they do, they vow to trick Falstaff.