The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a reference to Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, and though nominally set in the reign of Henry IV, the play makes no pretence to exist outside contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life. It features the character Sir John Falstaff, the fat, joke-loving knight who had previously been featured in Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 as the recreational companion of the future King Henry V. It has been adapted for the opera on several occasions.

The Merry Wives of Windsor in Ruled Britannia
The Merry Wives of Windsor was a play by William Shakespeare, performed by Lord Westmorland's Men at The Theatre. Will Kemp enjoyed playing the comical lead role of Falstaff, and asked Shakespeare to write a play where Falstaff meets a King of England. Shakespeare, however, was reluctant to arouse Spanish ire by idolising an independent English ruler; he had only attempted Richard III because its title character was a loathsome villain.

See also Inconsistencies in Turtledove's Work