Falstaff's Wedding

Falstaff's Wedding
Title page of the 1760 edition
Written by	William Kenrick
Date premiered	1766
Place premiered	Drury Lane, London
Original language	English
Subject	Original version: Falstaff is drawn into a plot to kill Henry V Revised version: Falstaff and his cronies plot to marry into money
Genre	Period piece; farce
Setting	London, shortly after the coronation of King Henry V

Falstaff's Wedding (1760 and 1766) is a play by William Kenrick. It is a sequel to Shakespeare's plays Henry IV, Part 2 and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Most of the characters are carried over from the two Shakespeare plays. The play was first staged in 1766, but was not a success. It was infrequently revived thereafter.

The play exists in two quite different versions. The first version, published in 1760, is written in verse. Its main storyline involves an embittered Falstaff being drawn into a plot to kill Henry V of England. The second version, staged in 1766, drops the serious plot and expands the roles of the comic characters, becoming a farce about their plans to marry into money. It is mostly in prose with snatches of verse appended to the end of several scenes.

characters derived from The Merry Wives of Windsor are marked (MW); those from the Henry IV plays are marked (H.IV)

Smarting from his dismissal from Hal's presence, Falstaff meets up with Doll Tearsheet and Mistress Quickly, who have bribed their way free of jail. They are both shocked by what has happened. Lord Scroop and his accomplices plot against the new king. Scroop says that Henry's rejection of his old companions is proof of how hypocritical and untrustworthy he is. A Friar is asked to try to reform Falstaff. The Friar is told that the king's relationship with Poins' beautiful sister Eleanor has helped Poins escape the fate of the other former companions. The king has sent Eleanor to a nunnery, nominally to protect her. But he is disturbed to see her at his coronation.

Shallow plots to get back the thousand pounds he lent to Falstaff. In the Boar's Head Tavern, Falstaff pours out his bitterness to Bardolph. Shallow consults lawyer Mr. Pleadwell, but is advised that legal attempts to get his money will fail. Falstaff, Doll, Bardolph and Quickly discuss what they will do for the future. Scroop visits Eleanor Poins and attempts to seduce her, but she rejects him. An Apothecary visits the dejected Falstaff but can do nothing for him; Falstaff only perks up when Bardolph tells him that his old fiancée Mistress Ursula has inherited money. He writes to her, telling her of his enduring love. The king discusses challenges to his power from the church and the French. Ursula discusses Falstaff's intentions with her maid Bridget. The Friar confronts Falstaff about his lifestyle. Falstaff says marriage will be his penance.

The king angers church leaders when he refuses a demand from the Pope to change a law that requires parliamentary approval for some church financial matters. Scroop and the Papal Legate plot against him. Shallow, frustrated, determines to challenge Falstaff to a duel. Scroop and the Earl of Cambridge plan to kill Henry and place Edmund Mortimer on the throne. They think Falstaff is the man to do the deed, because of his known criminality and his grievance against Henry. Falstaff and Shallow meet for their duel. Falstaff beats Shallow, who is forced to concede he will never get back his money.