Merry Wives of Windsor (Bard to the Bone #09)

Year written: 1594

Context of the writing (Shakespeare’s career, political events it was responding to): – there’s a story, too good to be true, that Shakespeare was given two weeks to write a play about Falstaff in love.  Given by who? Well, good queen Bess…

Plot in a paragraph: Falstaff thinks he can con some women, but they see him coming a mile off, and play with him like a cat plays with a mouse… In a subplot, two marriages of convenience/advantage are foiled and True Love Prevails

Things that worked well: The women at the centre of it all. The scene with Falstaff in the laundry hamper.

Things that didn’t work well: I just didn’t find it that funny?

Favourite character: Falstaff, I guess

Words I learnt: 

Word	Definition
Luces	Luces –  unit of illumination equal to the direct illumination on a surface that is everywhere one meter from a uniform point source of one candle intensity or equal to one lumen per square meter [nb not what Shakespeare had in mind!)
Oeillade	Oeillade – a glance of the eye, especially ogle
Posset	Posset -A posset, was originally a popular British hot drink made of milk curdled with wine or ale, often spiced, which was often used as a remedy.
Shent	Shent (transitive) archaic1. to put to shame2. to chide or reproach3. to injure or destroy
Curtal	Curtal archaicshortened, abridged, or curtailed. “the curtal frock of sunbright cotton”
Wittoll	Wittoll –  is a man who knows of his wife’s infidelity and puts up with it.
Montant	Montant – montant (plural montants)(fencing, archaic) An upward cut with a blade quotations ▼montant (plural montants)(carpentry) An upright piece in any framework, such as a muntin or stile(drinking) The first scent of a cognac
Whitster	Whitster – linen bleacher (archaic)
Drumble	Drumble – to be inactive, or sluggish . To mumble in speaking. (obsolete) To do something ineptly; to bungle or bumble.
Cornuto	Cornuto – cuckold
Bilbo	Bilbo – a sword used in former times, noted for the temper and elasticity of its blade.
Accidence	Accidence – the part of grammar that deals with the inflections of words.
Draff	Draff – dregs
Leman	Leman –  sweetheart, lover; especially : mistress.
Runnion	Runnion – obsolete, vulgar, slang 1. derogatory a woman 2. a penis
Taber	Taber – a frame, esp. of the 18th century, around a doorway, niche,
Evitate	Evitate – to shun, avoid

Lines worth knowing: 

Act scene lines	Character	Lines	Comment
Act 2, scene 1, lines 105	Pistol	Hope is a curtal dog in some affairs:
Act 5, scene 5, line 245	Page	What cannot be eschewed must be embraced.

Marc’s entirely subjective verdict and score out of 5 bards (ymmv): 3?  I just wasn’t in the mood

Will I be tracking down movies of this? :  no

How far would I travel to see a good production of this? If it isn’t in Stone, you’re on your own…

Limericks

Falstaff seeks to seduce some money

I a plot that his friends find unfunny

But his plannings too flawed

To fool Mrs Page and Ford

Despite which his ending is sunny

AND

Fat Falstaff is in search of a mark

And two wives, they bit back for a lark

For the Fords and Pages

Love comes in some stages

It all ends with some play in a park.