The Merry Wives of Windsor

William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 149K words
Chapters: 15

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Les alegres comares de Windsor by William ShakespeareAuthor: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616,Language: Catalan, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Nov 11, 2005

Editor's review

This is the Catalan translation of Shakespeare's comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor, released by Project Gutenberg. The play centers on Falstaff's absurd courtship in Windsor, with its humor driven by misunderstandings, pranks, and the bustle of civic life; it is one of the few Shakespeare plays that turns away from the aristocratic court and toward the tastes of the middle class. The value of this edition lies first in its language: it offers Catalan readers, or those learning Catalan, an entry point to Shakespeare, and provides a sample for comparing how translations in different languages handle puns and colloquial speech. Note that this is a public-domain ebook with no introduction or detailed notes, so character relationships and vulgar jokes may require outside references. It suits as a supplementary text for foreign-language reading and Shakespeare studies rather than as a first-choice annotated introduction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate to advanced learners of Catalan who want to read literature in the original
Readers studying translations of Shakespeare's comedies or translation strategies
Enthusiasts familiar with Shakespeare who want to compare the Catalan treatment
Readers collecting multilingual public-domain texts from Project Gutenberg

Not a good fit for

Readers who read only Chinese and want an effortless grasp of the plot
Beginners to Shakespeare who need detailed notes and introductions
Readers uninterested in civic comedy and pun-based humor

Reading tips

Read a plot summary in Chinese or English first to sort out the characters, then move into the Catalan text.
Focus on the scenes between Falstaff and the two wives, and notice how the misunderstandings pile up.
Mark puns and slang as you go and look them up after finishing a scene, so you don't break the rhythm.
Compare with a Shakespeare translation you know well to see how the same joke works in two languages.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What language is this edition in?

According to the information, this is the Catalan translation of Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, released by Project Gutenberg. It is not a Chinese or English edition, so you need some Catalan reading ability before starting.

Can I understand it without notes?

This public-domain ebook does not mention an introduction or notes, so the puns, slang, and period background may need outside references. It is best to learn the plot summary and character relationships first, then read the text and look up difficulties as you go.

Is this play suitable as an introduction to Shakespeare?

Its plot is lively and full of jokes, but it has a lot of colloquial speech and puns, and this edition lacks notes, so it is not the easiest starting point for complete beginners. It is easier to get into if you already have some experience with Shakespeare or use a summary and notes alongside it.

Can I use it to learn Catalan?

Yes, but it suits intermediate to advanced learners better. Shakespeare's language is rhetorical and period-specific, not a textbook of everyday speech. Treat it as literary reading material, use a dictionary and plot summary, and focus on syntax and feel for the language rather than imitating it sentence by sentence.

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About the author

William Shakespeare Author · English · 1564–1616

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was the greatest playwright, poet and actor of the English Renaissance. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he is known as the "Bard of Avon." He wrote roughly thirty-seven to thirty-nine plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets and narrative poems. His representative works include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. His works span tragedy, comedy and history play, distinguished by rich, poetic language and profound characterization. His explorations of human nature, power, love and fate have had a lasting influence, and his works have been translated into many languages and circulated widely around the world.