Publisher Description

This edition of Shakespeare's citizen comedy focuses on a theatrical understanding of the play.Eminent Shakespearean scholars Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen provide a fresh new edition of this popular comedy of love, laughter, and merriment-along with more than a hundred pages of exclusive features, including- An original Introduction to The Merry Wives of Windsor- Incisive scene-by-scene synopsis and analysis with vital facts about the work- Commentary on past and current productions based on interviews with leading directors, actors, and designers- Photographs of key RSC productions- An overview of Shakespeare's theatrical career and chronology of his playsIdeal for students, theater professionals, and general readers, these modern and accessible editions from the Royal Shakespeare Company set a new standard in Shakespearean literature for the twenty-first century.

Author Biography

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. In London, Shakespeare became the principal playwright and shareholder of the successful acting troupe the Lord Chamberlin's men (later, under James I, called the King's men) which built and occupied the Globe theater. In 1616, he died in Stratford after having written 37 plays, sonnets, and other poetry which would become crucial to the cannon of English literature.

Review

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

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This edition of Shakespeare's citizen comedy focuses on a theatrical understanding of the play.

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Praise for William Shakespeare: Complete Works "Remarkable . . .

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This edition of Shakespeare's citizen comedy focuses on a theatrical understanding of the play.

Excerpt from Book

Act 1 Scene 1 running scene 1 Enter Justice SHALLOW, SLENDER [and] Sir Hugh EVANS SHALLOW Sir Hugh, persuade me not. I will make a Star Chamber matter of it. If he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert SHALLOW, esquire. SLENDER In the county of Gloucester, Justice of Peace and Coram. SHALLOW Ay, cousin SLENDER, and Custalorum. SLENDER Ay, and Rato-lorum too; and a gentleman born, master parson, who writes himself Armigero in any bill, warrant, quittance or obligation, Armigero. SHALLOW Ay, that I do, and have done any time these three hundred years. SLENDER All his successors - gone before him - hath done''t, and all his ancestors - that come after him - may. They may give the dozen white luces in their coat. SHALLOW It is an old coat. EVANS The dozen white louses do become an old coat well. It agrees well passant. It is a familiar beast to man, and signifies love. SHALLOW The luce is the fresh fish. The salt fish is an old coat. SLENDER I may quarter, coz. SHALLOW You may, by marrying. EVANS It is marring indeed, if he quarter it. SHALLOW Not a whit. EVANS Yes, py''r lady: if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures. But that is all one: if Sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you. SHALLOW The Council shall hear it, it is a riot. EVANS It is not meet the Council hear a riot: there is no fear of Got in a riot. The Council, look you, shall desire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot. Take your vizaments in that. SHALLOW Ha, o''my life, if I were young again, the sword should end it. EVANS It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it. And there is also another device in my prain, which peradventure prings goot discretions with it. There is Anne Page, which is daughter to Master Thomas Page, which is pretty virginity. SLENDER Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman. EVANS It is that fery person for all the ''orld, as just as you will desire, and seven hundred pounds of moneys, and gold and silver, is her grandsire upon his death''s-bed - Got deliver to a joyful resurrections! - give, when she is able to overtake seventeen years old. It were a goot motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and desire a marriage between Master Abraham and Mistress Anne Page. SLENDER Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound? EVANS Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. SLENDER I know the young gentlewoman: she has good gifts. EVANS Seven hundred pounds, and possibilities, is goot gifts. SHALLOW Well, let us see honest Master Page. Is Falstaff there? EVANS Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar as I do despise one that is false, or as I despise one that is not true. The knight, Sir John, is there, and I beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. I will peat the door for Master Page. Knocks What, ho! Got pless your house here! PAGE Who''s there? Speaks within and then enters EVANS Here is Got''s plessing, and your friend, and Justice SHALLOW, and here young Master SLENDER, that peradventures shall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings. PAGE I am glad to see your worships well. I thank you for my venison, Master SHALLOW. SHALLOW Master Page, I am glad to see you: much good do it your good heart. I wished your venison better, it was ill killed. How doth good Mistress Page? And I thank you always with my heart, la - with my heart. PAGE Sir, I thank you. SHALLOW Sir, I thank you: by yea and no, I do. PAGE I am glad to see you, good Master SLENDER. SLENDER How does your fallow greyhound, sir? I heard say he was outrun on Cotsall. PAGE It could not be judged, sir. SLENDER You''ll not confess, you''ll not confess. SHALLOW That he will not.- ''Tis your fault, ''tis your fault.- ''Tis a good Aside to SLENDER/ dog. To Page PAGE A cur, sir. SHALLOW Sir, he''s a good dog, and a fair dog, can there be more said? He is good and fair. Is Sir John Falstaff here? PAGE Sir, he is within: and I would I could do a good office between you. EVANS It is spoke as a Christians ought to speak. SHALLOW He hath wronged me, Master Page. PAGE Sir, he doth in some sort confess it. SHALLOW If it be confessed, it is not redressed. Is not that so, Master Page? He hath wronged me, indeed he hath, at a word, he hath. Believe me: Robert SHALLOW esquire saith he is wronged. PAGE Here comes Sir John. [Enter Falstaff, Bardolph, Nim and Pistol] FALSTAFF Now, Master Shallow, you''ll complain of me to the king? SHALLOW Knight, you have beaten my men, killed my deer, and broke open my lodge. FALSTAFF But not kissed your keeper''s daughter? SHALLOW Tut, a pin! This shall be answered. FALSTAFF I will answer it straight: I have done all this. That is now answered. SHALLOW The Council shall know this. FALSTAFF ''Twere better for you if it were known in counsel. You''ll be laughed at. EVANS Pauca verba, Sir John, goot worts. FALSTAFF Good worts? Good cabbage. SLENDER, I broke your head. What matter have you against me? SLENDER Marry, sir, I have matter in my head against you, and against your cony-catching rascals, Bardolph, Nim and Pistol. BARDOLPH You Banbury cheese! SLENDER Ay, it is no matter. PISTOL How now, Mephostophilus? SLENDER Ay, it is no matter. NIM Slice, I say! Pauca, pauca. Slice, that''s my humour. SLENDER Where''s Simple, my man? Can you tell, cousin? EVANS Peace, I pray you. Now let us understand. There is three umpires in this matter, as I understand; that is, Master Page - fidelicet Master Page - and there is myself - fidelicet myself - and the three party is - lastly and finally - mine host of the Garter. PAGE We three to hear it and end it between them. EVANS Fery goot, I will make a prief of it in my note-book, and we will afterwards ''ork upon the cause with as great discreetly as we can. FALSTAFF Pistol! PISTOL He hears with ears. EVANS The tevil and his tam! What phrase is this? He hears with ear? Why, it is affectations. FALSTAFF Pistol, did you pick Master Slender''s purse? SLENDER Ay, by these gloves, did he, or I would I might never come in mine own great chamber again else, of seven groats in mill- sixpences, and two Edward shovel-boards, that cost me two shilling and two pence apiece of Yead Miller, by these gloves. FALSTAFF Is this true, Pistol? EVANS No, it is false, if it is a pick-purse. PISTOL Ha, thou mountain-foreigner! Sir John and master mine, I combat challenge of this latten bilbo. Word of denial in thy labras here! Word of denial: froth and scum, thou liest! SLENDER By these gloves, then, ''twas he. Points to Nim NIM Be avised, sir, and pass good humours: I will say ''marry trap'' with you, if you run the nuthook''s humour on me. That is the very note of it. SLENDER By this hat, then, he in the red face had it: for though I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass. FALSTAFF What say you, Scarlet and John? BARDOLPH Why, sir, for my part, I say the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five sentences. EVANS It is his five senses. Fie, what the ignorance is! BARDOLPH And being fap, sir, was, as they say, cashiered: and so conclusions passed the careers. SLENDER Ay, you spake in Latin then too. But ''tis no matter. I''ll ne''er be drunk whilst I live again, but in honest, civil, godly company, for this trick. If I be drunk, I''ll be drunk with those that have the fear of God, and not with drunken knaves. EVANS So Got ''udge me, that is a virtuous mind. FALSTAFF You hear all these matters denied, gentlemen, you hear it. [Enter Anne, with wine] PAGE Nay, daughter, carry the wine in: we''ll drink within. [Exit Anne] SLENDER O heaven, this is Mistress Anne Page! Aside? [Enter Mistress Ford and Mistress Page] PAGE How now, Mistress Ford? FALSTAFF Mistress Ford, by my troth, you are very well met. By your leave, good mistress. Kisses her PAGE Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome. Come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner. Come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness. [Exeunt all except SHALLOW, SLENDER and EVANS] SLENDER I had rather than forty shillings I had my book of Songs and Sonnets here. [Enter Simple] How now, Simple, where have you been? I must wait on myself, must I? You have not the Book of Riddles about you, have you? SIMPLE Book of Riddles? Why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon Allhallowmas last, a fortnight afore Michaelmas? SHALLOW Come, coz. Come, coz, we stay for you. A word with you, coz. Marry, this, coz: there is, as ''twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh here. Do you understand me? SLENDER Ay, sir, you shall find me reasonable. If it be so, I shall do that that is reason. SHALLOW Nay, but understand me. SLENDER So I do, sir. EVANS Give ear to his motions. Master Slender, I will description the matter to you, if you be capacity of it. SLENDER Nay, I will do as my cousin Shallow says. I pray you pardon me, he''s a Justice of Peace in his country, simple though I stand here. EVANS But that is not the question. The question is concerning your marriage. SHALLOW Ay, there''s the point, sir. EVANS Marry, is it: the very point of it, to Mistress Anne Page. SLENDER Why, if it be so, I will marry her upon any reasonable demands. EVANS But can you affection the ''oman? Let us command to know that of your mouth

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