The Merry Wives of Windsor ─ New Critical Essays

The Merry Wives of Windsor is a much neglected comedy by Shakespeare. Initially popular, it was subsequently dismissed and marginalised as one of his weakest plays. However, recent developments in feminist, ecocritical and new historicist criticism have led to a revival of interest, and this collection of 17 essays by top Shakespeare scholars sheds new light on the play. The detailed introduction by Evelyn Gajowski and Phyllis Rackin provides a historical survey of the play’s reception and ties into an evolving critical and cultural context. The book’s sections look in turn at Female Community/ Female Agency, Theatrical Alternatives, Social and Theatrical Contexts, Desire/Sexuality, Nature, and Performance to provide contemporary critical analysis of the play.

Evelyn Gajowski is Professor of English at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA.

Phyllis Rackin is Professor of English Emerita, University of Pennsylvania, USA.