Abstract
William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor features bold, intelligent women who may appear to be social outliers in the context of rural sixteenth-century England. The wives hold power over Falstaff, their husbands, and the men in general. However, this female characterization is not merely a comedic caricature, but instead a theatrical adaptation of the stereotypical English housewife. This historical Elizabethan context profoundly affects female characterization as found in Giuseppe Verdi and Arrigo Boito’s final comedic opera, Falstaff. The prowess of Queen Elizabeth is evident in The Merry Wives; her influence profoundly impacts the characterization of the women of Windsor. In Act I, Scene 2, the women receive identical love letters from Falstaff, resulting in the quartet, “Quell’otre! Quel tino!”, where the women plot to deceive the Old Knight. Shakespeare’s Elizabethan homage was upheld and embellished by Verdi and Boito in Falstaff. Queen Elizabeth is characterized by Boito’s Nannetta Page, an embodiment of purity and chastity, whose brief amorous exchanges with Fenton exemplify the young lovers’ innocence. Fenton and Nannetta sing the words of the great Italian poet Boccaccio during their exchanges, effectively bringing the dramatic action to a temporary halt while reaffirming the opera’s Italian roots. Nannetta is the thread connecting both the English and Italian national identities throughout the unfolding narrative of Falstaff. Not only does she sing the words of Boccaccio with Fenton, she also plays the part of La Regina Delle Fate during Falstaff’s final deception in Act III, Scene 2. Her depiction as the Fairy Queen is a direct link to Queen Elizabeth, a representation created by Shakespeare’s contemporary, Edmund Spenser in his epic poem, The Faerie Queene. I explore the intricacies of Nannetta’s characterization in relation to Queen Elizabeth through a historical, textual and musical analysis, culminating with a discussion of her Act III, Scene 2 aria, “Sul fil d’un soffio etesio”.