Shakespeare is said to have wri t ten this comedy at the direct request of Queen Elisabeth, who wished to see the stout knight Falstaff, a minor character from Henry IV and Henry V, cast in the comical role of a befooled Don Juan.In a comedy that weaves together several storylines, Sir John Falstaff rose from being minor to main character. This is cer tainly no ordinary career in the history of theatre. The lovable adventurer and tavern idler, who has lost favour with the King, comes up with an incredible plan – to cour t two honest townswomen of Windsor, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, at the same time, in order to seize the money of their fairly wealthy husbands. Besides overestimating his looks and underestimating his age, the vain Falstaff faces another slight problem – his plans are quickly discovered by both women, and even their husbands. The ladies want rightly to take revenge on Falstaff, and so – for appearance’s sake – both accept his offer. The womanising Falstaff falls into their trap over and over again, but in the last moment manages to escape the clutches of the jealous husband, who always only makes a fool of himself.