George Page

The Pages and The Fords

Of the four spouses, George is the least involved in the Falstaff (A-plot) storyline.  He trusts his wife implicitly and considers his marriage sound.  There are two practical reasons for this.  Structure-wise, he needs to be the instigator, foil and manager of the B-plot, the story of Anne and her suitors.  Dramatically, he needs to be a counterpoint to Ford.

He is so strongly in favor of Slender, a man so obviously wrong-suited for marriage to his daughter, that we have to question why?  Is he so controlling and domineering that he can't allow for her to make her own choice?  This would give credence to Anne settling for anyone, more than anything she just wants out.  Does he hate Fenton that much; that it could be anyone but him, then why not Dr. Caius, whom his wife supports?  Does he wish for some connection to Justice Shallow's family/lands/money?

So...Who Are The Merry Wives of Windsor?

This took a little bit longer than I expected.  Essentially there are 19 principal roles, with three of them going to children.  Figuring out the relationships and what makes the characters tick is a time consuming process.  Especially when there are 6 principals who do not have a lot of lines but a lot of stage time.

So let's dig right in and get to the cast breakdown. 

What is The Merry Wives of Windsor?

The Merry Wives of Windsor is one of Shakespeare's middle era comedies which I am going to say was written in 1600.  A far more detailed explanation for my choosing of that date will come in the immediate future.  There is much debate about the actual year of authorship, as there is with most dates for anything Shakespeare related.

I am quite in love the idea that this play was written at the request of Elizabeth I because she enjoyed the character of Falstaff so much and wanted to see a play with him in love. 

The play focuses on the oafish knight Sir John Falstaff and his attempts to woo two married women so that he may be a "kept" man.  A secondary plot revolves around Anne Page, the eldest daughter of one of the women Falstaff is wooing, and the three men that are vying for her affection. 

The comedy is broad, perhaps the broadest of any of the Shakespeare plays, and oftentimes borders on farcical slapstick.  Many contemporary scholars/directors liken it to a sitcom; one of the popular "adapted settings" is that of a 1950's/early 60's sitcom setting.