The Merry Wives of Windsor is a play about phony identities, false affections, duplicitious trysts, even an elaborate costumed masque. Some characters like Falstaff use deception to get their way, while others like the Merry Wives use it to play defense and level the playing field. Mistress Page even argues that deception that leads to public humiliation and moral reform is justified: "Against such lewdsters and their lechery,/Those that betray them do no treachery"(5.4.23-4)
Is Ms. Page correct? Does the play show it is justified in some circumstances and not others? Does it matter one's motivations and goals? Does it matter the relative power relations? Does it matter the nature of the deception? Or does the play suggest that Ms. Page is wrong? Is it always (or never) a treachery?
Shakespeare's comedy, "The Merry Wives of Windsor" revolves very much so around the concept of deceit and trickery. Whether it be the main plot involving the wives and Falstaff or the various side plots, there always seems to be someone attempting to pull some sort of trick or maneuver over the others. However, these different tricks vary greatly in severity and morality which, when presented with Mistress Page's claim that "Against such lewdsters and their lechery, / Those that betray them do no treachery" (5.4.23-4), presents Shakespeares thesis that trickery is very dependent on circumstance on whether it's righteous or not. We see both ends of the spectrum, notably in the comparison between Falstaff's trickery and Sir Hugh's trickery. In the case of Falstaff, we see through his attempted trickery of both Mistress Ford and Mistress Page he receives hell. As he attempts to woo both of these married women (very poorly, I might add), he then is beaten, nearly drowned, and poked with candles. This is the punishment for such trickery. However, this is not the only time we see the results of deceitful nature. We see a similar bout of trickery from Sir Hugh in his near fight with Dr. Caius "Pray you, let us not be / laughing-stocks to other men’s humors. I desire / you in friendship, and I will one way or other / make you amends." (3.1.85-8) Unlike with Falstaff's circumstance, however, this mutual trickery from Caius and Hugh does not end with them being beaten, nearly drowned, and poked with candles. Instead, they become comrades willing to join in Falstaff's final revenge. This dissimilarity is very interesting as it seems to be completely against what Shakespeare had been writing about this entire time. However, it's important to take into account the context of these tricks. Unlike Caius and Hugh's trick, Falstaff's trick was entirely selfish and, for all intents and purposes, lazy.
ReplyDelete"Letter for letter, but that the name of
Page and Ford differs! To thy great comfort in this
mystery of ill opinions, here’s the twin brother of
thy letter. . . . But let thine inherit first, for I protest
mine never shall. I warrant he hath a thousand of
these letters writ with blank space for different
names—sure, more—and these are of the second
edition. He will print them, out of doubt; for he
cares not what he puts into the press, when he
would put us two. I had rather be a giantess and lie
under Mount Pelion. Well, I will find you twenty
lascivious turtles ere one chaste man" (2.1.69-81)
This poor attempt at trickery for a self-serving need is what differentiates Falstaff's trickery from that of Caius and Hugh, and is what results in such different outcomes. Their jolly cooperation and good intention is what prevented them from such a poor fate.
Shakespeare’s play, “The Merry Wives of Windsor”, is a comedy detailing deception as an active part in the production. In which the main plot seems to surround the wives taking it upon themselves to trick Falstaff in every chance they get, whether that be through tricking him to enter a laundry bag and drift away in the Thames, or through getting him to dress up as an old woman that is later beaten by one of the husbands for the prior assumption that she is a witch and no longer allowed in their home. While this sets the tone for how Falstaff is treated throughout the play, it also needs to be mentioned that Falstaff also uses deceit in an attempt to get his way, referencing the scene where both wives read out similar love letters sent to them by Falstaff in order to convince them to cheat on their husbands. This does not work, and instead leads to the motivation for the wives to trick Falstaff for the rest of the production. Ms. Page does mention "Against such lewdsters and their lechery,/Those that betray them do no treachery"(5.4.23-4), as a valid clause for the wives’ punishments to Falstaff, thinking in the mindset of “an eye for an eye”. I do believe that with the power dynamics placed on the wives that they are allowed to trick Falstaff without it being a true treachery, considering the nature in which Falstaff was originally trying to trick the wives; in order to get them to commit adultery, which is only another example of Falstaff’s selfishness and self-serving nature seen by him in every production he plays a role in.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor shows that deception is a that should only be used by women. Throughout the main plotline of the play, we watch as four main characters take part in deception. The first of these characters is Falstaff, who spends the whole play attempting to deceive Ford and Page's Wives into an affair. This immediately and continuously backfires on him when he is drowned, beaten, and publicly shamed as a result of this deception. From these outcomes, Shakespeare paints a clear picture: Falstaff’s actions were wrong and a better man would not do as he does. Then looking at the next key character, Ford, whose deceptions suffer from a similar fate. When Ford first learns of Falstaff's advances, he shows up at Falstaff's room and deceives Falstaff into thinking he is someone who needs Falstaff to succeed in having an affair with Ford’s wife. He does this all to get proof that his wife was unfaithful. Once again, this deception backfires when Ford gathers all of his friends to search for Falstaff to find said proof. The search turns up empty, and all of Ford's friends ridicule him. Particularly, Ford’s arguably closest friend, Page, comments, “Fie, fie, Master Ford, are you not ashamed?” (3.3.211). Here, once more, Shakespeare shows that deception from a man is wrong and something to be “ashamed” of. This is in direct contrast to the deception used by Mistress Page, and Mistress Ford. Throughout the entirety of the play, these two women take part in more deception than all the other characters combined, and rather than it blowing up in their faces, they succeed incredibly. Continually, they deceive and trick Falstaff, and without fail, their Tricks work brilliantly. This all culminates in the climax of the play, where the whole village comes together to humiliate Falstaff, thanks to the wife's continued deception of Falstaff. During this, Mistress Page comments, "Against such lewdsters and their lechery,/Those that betray them do no treachery" (5.4.23-4). In this final instance, Shakespeare shows that ultimately deception is a tool meant for women to be used against lecherous men such as Falstaff.
ReplyDeleteIn Shakespeare's “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” the idea of deception is a two-sided dimension between different genders. This is shown when the play portrays an obvious difference between deception when it's a man, specifically Falstaff and Ford, versus when it's employed by a woman, Mistress Page, and Ford. Falstaff’s attempts at deception throughout the play lead to his downfall, marked by him being beaten, and publicly humiliated. His actions are depicted as inherently wrong, as Shakespeare suggests that a virtuous man would not resort to his deceit. Similarly, Ford’s attempts to deceive Falstaff result in humiliation from his friends, further emphasizing the disapproval of male deception within the play.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, the female characters, Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, engage in a series of deceptions against Falstaff. Unlike Falstaff and Ford, their deceit seems to consistently work, as they never face backlash, even turning the entire village against Falstaff come time for his public humiliation. Mistress Page’s statement that “against such lewdsters and their lechery, Those that betray them do no treachery” (5.4.23-4) further reflects the play’s endorsement of female-based deception as a justifiable way to counter the deceit of Falstaff. The juxtaposition of these gendered perspectives highlights the complexity of the play’s commentary on deception. Suggesting that, in certain circumstances, it's okay for women to use deception to expose and reform criminal individuals. This take from the play allows the audience to consider the ethical barriers of deception within the context of gender dynamics.