SHAKESPEARE ON DISK.

     THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

Copyright (c) 1990 Interconnection Publications Inc.


     DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

SIR JOHN FALSTAFF.

MISTRESS FORD.
          A gentlewoman dwelling at Windsor.

MISTRESS PAGE.
          A gentlewoman dwelling at Windsor.

FORD.
          Husband of Mistress Ford.

PAGE.
          Husband of Mistress Page.

MISTRESS QUICKLY.
          Servant of Doctor Caius.

DOCTOR CAIUS.
          A French physician.

ANNE PAGE.
          Daughter of Mistress Page.

SHALLOW.
          A country justice.

SLENDER.
          Cousin of Shallow.

SIR HIGH EVANS.
          A Welsh parson.

FENTON.
          A gentleman.

BARDOLPH.
          Follower of Falstaff.

PISTOL.
          Follower of Falstaff.

NYM.
          Follower of Falstaff.

ROBIN.
          Page of Falstaff.

SIMPLE.
          Servant of Slender.

HOST OF THE GARTER INN.

WILLIAM PAGE.
          A boy, son of Page.

RUGBY.
          Servant of Doctor Caius.

SERVANTS OF PAGE, FORD, etc.


     SYNOPSIS

1/1 Windsor. Before Page's house.
     SHALLOW, SLENDER and SIR HUGH EVANS enter; SHALLOW 
complains of Falstaff; SIR HUGH EVANS diverts him by 
suggesting a marriage between Anne Page and SLENDER.
     PAGE enters and greets them; FALSTAFF, BARDOLPH, PISTOL 
and NYM enter and dismiss SHALLOW's accusations against 
them.  
     MISTRESS FORD, MISTRESS PAGE and ANNE PAGE enter and 
all exit to dine with PAGE, except for SHALLOW, SLENDER and 
SIR HUGH EVANS.
     SIMPLE enters; SLENDER agrees to woo Anne Page, who 
then enters and invites them in; SHALLOW and SIR HUGH EVANS 
exit, followed by SIMPLE; ANNE PAGE urges SLENDER to join 
the others, and PAGE enters and escorts them in.

1/2 Windsor. Before Page's house.
     SIR HUGH EVANS sends SIMPLE to enlist Mistress 
Quickly's help.

1/3 A room in the Garter Inn.
     FALSTAFF tells the HOST, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, NYM and 
ROBIN that he is too poor to afford followers; the HOST 
offers to employ BARDOLPH and both men exit.
     FALSTAFF decides to seduce Mistresses Ford and Page and 
be kept by them; FALSTAFF and ROBIN exit; and the other two 
decide to betray Falstaff to the husbands.

1/4 A room in Doctor Caius' house.
     MISTRESS QUICKLY and SIMPLE enter; RUGBY enters and 
exits to keep watch; MISTRESS QUICKLY agrees to help 
Shallow; RUGBY enters, announces his master and exits; 
SIMPLE hides; DOCTOR CAIUS enters and sends for RUGBY who 
enters; DOCTOR CAIUS discovers SIMPLE and sends him off with 
a challenge to Sir Hugh Evans; SIMPLE exits.
     MISTRESS QUICKLY assures the DOCTOR that Anne Page 
loves him; DOCTOR CAIUS and RUGBY exit.
     FENTON enters, gains MISTRESS QUICKLY's aid in wooing 
Anne, and exits.

2/1 Before Page's house.
     MISTRESS PAGE enters, reading Falstaff's letter, which 
outrages her; MISTRESS FORD enters with a similar letter and 
they agree to be revenged on him, and retire.
     FORD and PAGE enter with PISTOL and NYM who tell them 
of Falstaff's intentions and exit; PAGE dismisses the 
disclosures, but FORD's suspicions are aroused.
     The two wives come forward; MISTRESS QUICKLY enters and 
the women enlist her in their scheme; MISTRESS PAGE, 
MISTRESS FORD and MISTRESS QUICKLY exit.
     The husbands discuss the information; the HOST enters, 
followed by SHALLOW, and calls them to a duel between the 
priest and doctor; FORD engages the HOST's services in a 
deception against Falstaff; the others exit; FORD decides to 
test his wife's fidelity.

2/2 A room in the Garter Inn.
     FALSTAFF and PISTOL argue; ROBIN enters, followed by 
MISTRESS QUICKLY, who arranges an assignation between 
FALSTAFF and Mistress Ford, and exits with ROBIN; PISTOL 
follows.
     BARDOLPH enters, announces a Mr. Brook and exits.
     FORD enters and commissions FALSTAFF to seduce Mistress 
Ford; FALSTAFF exits; and FORD soliloquizes jealously.

2/3 A field near Windsor.
     DOCTOR CAIUS and RUGBY enter and wait for Sir Hugh.
     The HOST, SHALLOW, SLENDER and PAGE enter and discuss 
the duel with the doctor; SHALLOW, SLENDER and PAGE exit to 
collect the parson; the HOST persuades DOCTOR CAIUS to 
accompany him.

3/1 A field near Frogmore.
     SIR HUGH EVANS and SIMPLE nervously wait for the 
doctor.
     PAGE, SHALLOW and SLENDER enter and tease the PARSON; 
the HOST and RUGBY enter with DOCTOR CAIUS who attacks SIR 
HUGH EVANS; the HOST confesses that he misdirected them; 
SHALLOW, SLENDER, PAGE and the HOST exit; DOCTOR CAIUS and 
SIR HUGH EVANS agree to be revenged on the Host.

3/2 The street, in Windsor.
     MISTRESS PAGE and ROBIN meet FORD who learns that ROBIN 
is Falstaff's page; MISTRESS PAGE and ROBIN exit; FORD rages 
at adulterers.
     Anne Page's suitors are discussed among PAGE, SHALLOW, 
SLENDER, the HOST, SIR HUGH EVANS, DOCTOR CAIUS and RUGBY; 
SHALLOW and SLENDER exit, followed by RUGBY and the HOST; 
FORD persuades the others to go home with him.

3/3 A room in Ford's house.
     MISTRESS FORD and MISTRESS PAGE instruct some SERVANTS, 
then exit.
     ROBIN enters, speaks and exits, followed by MISTRESS 
PAGE.
     FALSTAFF enters, courts MISTRESS FORD, then hides as 
MISTRESS PAGE and ROBIN enter; MISTRESS PAGE warns her 
friend that Ford is about to return, whereupon FALSTAFF 
emerges and is hidden in a laundry basket.
     ROBIN exits; SERVANTS enter, then FORD, PAGE, DOCTOR 
CAIUS and SIR HUGH EVANS; the SERVANTS exit with FALSTAFF in 
the basket.
     While FORD and the men exit to search for the lover, 
the women decide to punish Falstaff again; the men return 
and everyone reproaches FORD for his suspicions.

3/4 A room in Page's house.
     ANNE PAGE tells FENTON to win her father's approval.
     SLENDER enters to woo ANNE PAGE with the help of 
SHALLOW and MISTRESS QUICKLY.
     PAGE enters, with his wife; greets SLENDER and SHALLOW 
as kinsmen, and exits with them.
     MISTRESS PAGE says that she would like her daughter to 
marry the Doctor, and exits with ANNE PAGE.
     FENTON gives MISTRESS QUICKLY a ring for Anne and 
exits.
     MISTRESS QUICKLY resolves to help all Anne's suitors.

3/5 A room in the Garter Inn.
     FALSTAFF sends BARDOLPH, who exits, for wine; FALSTAFF 
complains about his ducking; BARDOLPH enters, calls in 
MISTRESS QUICKLY and exits.
     MISTRESS QUICKLY arranges another meeting between 
Mistress Ford and FALSTAFF and exits.
     The disguised FORD enters and is told about FALSTAFF's 
escape and forthcoming assignation; FALSTAFF exits; the 
furious FORD determines to catch the culprits.

4/1 The street.
     MISTRESS PAGE, MISTRESS QUICKLY and WILLIAM enter; SIR 
HUGH EVANS enters and MISTRESS PAGE tests WILLIAM'S Latin 
despite MISTRESS QUICKLY's interruptions and interjections.

4/2 A room in Ford's house.
     FALSTAFF greets MISTRESS FORD, then exits as MISTRESS 
PAGE enters; MISTRESS PAGE says that Ford is on his way 
home, mad with jealousy; a terrified FALSTAFF enters, is 
disguised as a woman, and exits; the wives enjoy his 
discomfiture and exit.
     MISTRESS FORD enters and orders two SERVANTS to carry 
out the laundry basket; FORD, PAGE, SHALLOW, DOCTOR CAIUS 
and SIR HUGH EVANS enter, and FORD insists on examining the 
washing; MISTRESS FORD enters; and everyone remonstrates 
with FORD.
     MISTRESS PAGE and the disguised FALSTAFF enter; FORD 
beats FALSTAFF who exits; FORD, PAGE, SHALLOW, DOCTOR CAIUS 
and SIR HUGH EVANS exit to search the house.
     The women decide to tell their husbands the truth.

4/3 A room in the Garter Inn.
     BARDOLPH tells the HOST that some German guests need 
horses, and the HOST complains that they have given him a 
great deal of trouble.  

4/4 A room in Ford's house.
     After FORD begs MISTRESS FORD's pardon, the FORDS, 
PAGE, MISTRESS PAGE and SIR HUGH EVANS decide to lure 
Falstaff to the forest and terrify him.
     PAGE privately plots to have Slender elope with Anne; 
he exits with FORD and SIR HUGH EVANS.
     MISTRESS FORD exits; MISTRESS PAGE discloses her plan 
to have Doctor Caius marry Anne.

4/5 A room in the Garter Inn.
     SIMPLE tells the HOST he has come to see Falstaff; 
FALSTAFF enters and bamboozles SIMPLE who exits.
     BARDOLPH enters and says that the HOST's horses have 
been stolen; SIR HUGH EVANS enters, warns the HOST against 
three cheating Germans and exits ; DOCTOR CAIUS enters, 
tells the HOST that his German duke is an imposter and 
exits; the HOST and BARDOLPH exit in pursuit of the 
villains.
     FALSTAFF broods over his mishaps; MISTRESS QUICKLY 
enters, with a letter from the two women.

4/6 Another room in the Garter Inn.
     FENTON promises to compensate the HOST for his losses, 
in exchange for some help in arranging an elopement.

5/1 A room in the Garter Inn.
     FALSTAFF and MISTRESS QUICKLY discuss the assignation, 
and she exits.
     The disguised FORD enters and hears about FALSTAFF's 
beating.

5/2 Windsor Park.
     PAGE, SHALLOW and SLENDER enter and confirm the details 
of the abduction.

5/3 A street leading to the Park.
     MISTRESS PAGE, MISTRESS FORD and DOCTOR CAIUS enter; 
MISTRESS PAGE tells DOCTOR CAIUS how to recognise Anne and 
he exits.
     The women anticipate Falstaff's discomfiture.

5/4 Windsor Park.
     SIR HUGH EVANS leads ANNE PAGE and others to the 
appointed spot.

5/5 Another part of the Park.
     FALSTAFF enters and soliloquizes; MISTRESS FORD and 
MISTRESS PAGE enter, greet him, then exit, running from a 
noise.
     SIR HUGH EVANS, PISTOL, ANNE PAGE and others enter, and 
torment FALSTAFF; during which time DOCTOR CAIUS enters and 
exits with someone, SLENDER enters and exits with another, 
and FENTON enters and exits with ANNE PAGE.
     The "fairies" exit; PAGE, FORD, MISTRESS PAGE and 
MISTRESS FORD enter and mock FALSTAFF, who realizes that he 
has been duped.
     SLENDER enters and says that he has been tricked into 
eloping with a boy; DOCTOR CAIUS enters and says the same; 
FENTON and ANNE PAGE enter and announce their marriage; the 
company good humouredly accept their fates and go home 
together.