The Merry Wives Of Windsor In 500 Words
You thought you'd gotten rid of him, but he's back. Sir. John. Falstaff.
Falstaff arrives in Windsor with very little money. He makes the decision that to make some money he will court two wealthy married women, Mistress Page and Mistress Ford. He writes identical love letters to the two women and tells his servants Pistol and Nim to deliver them. But Pistol and Nim refuse and Falstaff sacks them, convincing them to tell Page and Ford, the mistresses' husbands, what Falstaff is doing. Page is completely unbothered, but Ford persuades the Landlord to introduce him to Falstaff so he can work out Falstaff's plans in detail.
Page's daughter Anne has three suitors; her mother wants her to marry Doctor Caius, Page wants her to marry Master Slender and she wants to marry Master Fenton. Hugh Evans tries to get Caius's servant to help woo Anne on Slender's behalf, but Caius discovers and challenges Hugh to a duel. The Landlord tricks them into not fighting, and they work together to get revenge on the Landlord.
The Mistresses realize Falstaff's letter are identical and greatly disapprove of him. But they decide to play along for a laugh and pretend they love Falstaff. Falstaff is embarrassed, and Ford is suspicious of Falstaff and Mistress Ford.
The mistresses trick him into getting into a basket of dirty washing, and throw the basket in the river when Ford appears. Falstaff, however, is convinced the women are just playing hard to get. They then trick him into disguising himself as the obese aunt of Mistress Ford's maid, and is beaten up by is beaten up by Ford.
The mistresses tell their husbands what they have done and everyone comes up with one last trick. They tell Falstaff to dress up as Herne The Hunter and tell him to visit Windsor Forest. They then dress up the local children as fairies and tell them to pinch and burn Falstaff. Page arranges for Anne to be dressed in white so Slender can recognize her, steal her and be married before anyone notices. Mistress Ford arranges and almost identical trick with Caius, arranging for Anne to be dressed in green. Anne realizes what is happening and arranges for her and Fenton to marry secretly.
The wives meet Falstaff and the fairies attack. Slender, Caius and Fenton all take away who they think is their bride and everyone else reveals their true takes the joke well, and agrees when Ford insists on compensation of twenty pounds and all Falstaff's horses.
Caius and Slender arrive revealing that they accidentally stole a pair of boys, and Caius ahs actually married his accidentally. Fenton and Anne reveal their love, and Fenton reprimands the Fords for trying to force Anne into a marriage, to which the Fords agree, congratulating the pair on their marriage. Everyone leaves happily for a big meal, with Mistress Page inviting Falstaff.