The Merry Wives of Windsor tells the story of a small town disrupted by an outsider, of high stature, who reveals the characters of Windsor's darker traits. While Shakespeare's play mainly focuses on the intrusion of the portly knight, John Falstaff, and his rippling effect in the town, it also displays other events and stories independent of Falstaff's havoc. Besides the focus that is aimed at the wives whom Falstaff intends to seduce away from their husbands, another intricate story manifests itself, independent of Falstaff's mayhem. The story of love between Ms. Anne Page and her preferred suitor, Fenton, tells of the boy's struggle for her love and his competition with the other men ...view middle of the document...
) An obstacle facing Fenton in this beat is the deception of Mrs. Quickly. Twice already she has told Fenton's competitors that Anne Page is interested in them. So when Mrs. Quickly tells Fenton that Anne loves him, he is fooled, and although he thinks he accomplishes his immediate goal, he truly does not. Within the same scene another beat arises, because after learning that "Anne loves him," Fenton desires to gain Mrs. Quickly's preference and for her to put a good word out to Anne about him.Fenton:… Let me have thy voice in my behalf. If thou see'st her before me, commend me.Mistress QWill I? I' faith, that we will…The dialogue above shows what Fenton wants in this beat, and his motivation is the same as the beat before. This dialogue also shows that Mrs. Quickly seems to agree, which suggests to Fenton that he has again achieved what he wanted. Yet, nay, the obstacle of Mrs. Quickly's deception foils Fenton's goal once again. For her dialogue after Fenton exits suggests the truth: that Anne does not love him, and that Mrs. Quickly has no preference for who Anne should marry, yet, and thus she has no intention of commending Fenton to Anne.Another important beat in the play that expresses Fenton's momentary goal, and whether he achieves it or not, comes from III, iv, 1-20. Another beat in the same scene follows this beat, but each beat represents a different goal, and obstacle for Fenton. In this beat, Fenton's goal is to convince Anne to let go of her desire for him to gain her father's approval in order to gain her hand. In this beat, we discover Fenton's original motivation for his overall goal in the play, and his new motivation.Fenton:… Albeit I will confess thy father's wealth; Was the first motive that I wooed thee, Anne; Yet, wooing thee, I found thee of more value; Than stamps in gold or sums in sealed bags. ; And tis the very riches of thyself that now I aim at.Anne:Gentle Master Fenton; Yet seek my father's love, still seek it, sir.This dialogue also shows what was one of Fenton's obstacles, and how he was able to overcome it. His obstacle was convincing Anne that he didn't love her just for her money, and he convinces her. However, he is not able to convince her to let him s...
