Written for the adult players at the open-air Swan theatre in 1613;this master-piece of Jacobean city comedy signals its ironic natureeven in the title: chaste maids; like most other goods and people inLondons busiest commercial area; are likely to be fake. Money is moreimportant than either happiness or honour; and the most covetedcommodities to be bought with it are sex and social prestige. Middletoninterweaves the fortunes of four families; who either seek to marrytheir children off as profitably as possible; to stop having any morefor fear of poverty; or to acquire some in order to keep their propertyin the family. Most prosperous is the husband who pimps his wife to arich knight and lets him support the household with his alimony. Likemany early modern critics of Londons enormous growth; this playwarned: the city is a monster that lives off the money the countryproduces.
#535943 in eBooks 1987-01-22 1987-01-22File Name: B00KILLJWE
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Not as spirited as Falstaff himselfBy Erica S. KaneFalstaff is a difficult subject; in that no author can hope to match his outsized spirit. I knew before purchasing the book that Bloom would be a Falstaff partisan to the point of blindness; and opposed to Hals calculation. But I had hoped for a more vigorous and intelligent argument. There are some nuggets here; but not enough. Bloom says that he himself is 86; and I wonder if he is still at his peak.From a critical perspective; it is hardly satisfying to dismiss the entire Merry Wives of Windsor with two sentences. The play reveals much about Falstaff and deserves consideration; however little Bloom may have liked it. Falstaff speaking truth to power is more appealing than a vain; greedy man; but both sides are there. And Wives is not only a fine play in its own right but served as the basis for a classic opera by Verdi. It is intellectually dishonest to ignore it.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. ... a reader of Harold Bloom for some time and enjoyed his thoughts on FalstaffBy William D. MillerI have been a reader of Harold Bloom for some time and enjoyed his thoughts on Falstaff. Professor Bloom mentioned an older movie (still available on DVD from ); "Chimes at Midnight" with Orson Welles which makes a great complement to the book; "Falstaff".0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A solid analysis and reflection on Shakespeares most humane foilBy C. D. VarnPart critical series of critical essays; part reflective writing; and part celebration of Falstaff; Bloom makes a strong argument for the importance and humanity of Falstaff. Bloom lapses into praise of the character that borders on hyperbolic and seems to focus an inordinate amount of attention of Falstaffs death; but he does bring a long lifetime of his own insights to the character even if some points feel overly repeated.
