One of the main themes of The Merry Wives of Windsor is the change in gender roles that was occurring in Shakespeare's time. Gender roles were changing to allow women more freedom and power. In the play, men are depicted as foolish, delusional, jealous, and bestial. The women are described as happy, independent and intelligent. We see the fear of changing social structure in the play represented in the characters of Falstaff, Shakespeare's famously bawdy and entertaining knight and Mister Ford, the scheming and jealous husband. Without the independence their husbands give them, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page's plans would not be possible. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. Mister Page accepts the social revolution and allows his wife independence and trusts her. However, Mr. Ford mistrusts his wife and suffers from jealousy because of her freedom. Mr. Ford is a man who resists social revolution and change. Falstaff also resists change and transformation, which makes him a target for the wives' plans. Interestingly, Ford and Falstaff have similar views on women and are both victims of the plans. Anne Parten points out that Ford and Falstaff “may believe in clichés that equate female independence and vivacity with a predilection for marital infidelity” (190). Ford and Falstaff see “liveliness” and cheerfulness as a sign of loose morals. When Falstaff discusses his plans to seduce Mistress Ford, he comments: “I see entertainment in her. She speaks; she sculpts, she gives the look of invitation” (I,iii 40-43). Falstaff clearly expresses how Mistress Ford's "entertainment" is an "invitation" and we understand that he sees her attitude and personality as an opening to disloyalty. Falstaff is also known as "carves" and "speaks", which means that Mistress Ford is familiar with guests and feels comfortable around people, making her an appropriate choice to court. Mr. Ford demonstrates that his vision of his wife's cheerfulness is reason enough to doubt her honesty, when he says to Falstaff in the guise of Brooks: "Some say that, though she seems honest to me, / yet in other places he expands his cheerfulness so much that a shrewd construction is made of her” (I, iii 210-13). Ford believes that his wife's behavior invites the possibility of infidelity and damages his “construction” or reputation. “Merry wives” use their cheerfulness to deceive men and succeed because men are so deluded by what they accept as true. Although cheerfulness is the cause of wives' plans, which are a sign of their independence, l The intent of the wives' game is honest. Mistress Page defends her good humor by saying: “We will leave a proof, with what we do, the wives can be cheerful, and yet also honest./ Let us not act, because we often joke and laugh; this old but true, “Still the pig eats all the fiber” (IV, ii 99-102). Her good mood and happiness allow her to be “honest” and her games or “jokes and laughter” allow her to be more free and in control of her life instead of being “still”. Her games also indicate her intelligence and her desire to be aware of what is happening around her. Her active and cheerful ways prevent her from eating “all the drink” or swallowing her independence. The schemes and their outcomes highlight the power that women have. Nancy Cotton states that wives' games highlight their independence and also serve to “tack” men (Cotton 324). The proof of this can be seenwhen Falstaff says to Ford, whom he knows as Brooks: "I went to you, Mr. Brooks, as you see, like a poor old man, but I went out to you, Mr. Brooks, like a poor old woman." (V,i 15-17). The wife's power is evident in the way they humiliate Falstaff by forcing him to dress as a woman. He is symbolically castrated and also beaten by Ford as he leaves Mrs. Ford's house. The strength of women is contrasted with the weakness of Falstaff and Ford. Ford's disappointments and jealousies serve to weaken his character and make the female characters appear stronger. His delusions or corrupt mental state indicate an avoidance of reality. After seeing Falstaff dressed as a “witch,” Evans comments on his mental state when he says, “Master Ford, you must pray, and not follow the imagination of your heart; these are jealousies" (IV, ii). It is important that Evans tells Ford that he should not trust his “heart” because this reveals how fanatical Ford's colleagues think he is. In Act IV, Scene ii, Ford says, "Well, that's not where I look for it," and Mister Page's response is, "No, not anywhere else but in your brain." Once again it is clearly seen that he is believed to be imagining Falstaff having an affair with his wife. Ford is alone in his eagerness to discover that his wife is disloyal. After the first search for Falstaff in the house Page says to Ford: “Aren't you ashamed? What spirit, what devil does this imagination suggest? I would not have your displeasure of this kind for the wealth of Windsor Castle” (III, iii 199-202). Page questions Ford's state of mind and alludes to Ford's illusions as supernatural. His friend's opinion of him becomes more serious here. Ford's response is “It's my fault, Mr. Page, I suffer from it” (III, iii 203). Ford's response is an admission of weakness visible to all his friends, which helps make him helpless. Ford acknowledges that he was wrong and that he is “at fault,” which marks the beginning of Ford's confusion. Interestingly, Ford is criticized by those who are indifferent to or accepting of the new social way. Both Ford and Falstaff lose their plans with their wives. Falstaff is stuffed into a laundry basket, thrown into the mud, dressed as a woman, and ultimately humiliated. Ford is embarrassed in front of his friends and his sanity is questioned. Ford and Falstaff's inability to understand their wives' games is indicative of their resistance to social changes. Both men must transform themselves to avoid further humiliation. Ford must accept his wife's social independence and Falstaff must change his disrespectful and lustful ways. In the end they both transform. After Ford sees what he believes to be a witch, he is awakened from his position of resistance (Carroll 194). It is not long before Ford's character appears completely changed (Carroll 194). He is no longer jealous and delusional. He accepts his wife's power, even telling her: “Forgive me, wife./ From now on do what you want/ I would rather suspect the sun for the cold/ than you for the wantonness. Now your honor is in him who was once a heretic, as firm as faith" (IV,iv 6-9). Ford's transformation is complete. His wife is now free to do what she “wants” because he has “faith” in her. Ford is clearly surrendering his wife's independence and freedom. Perhaps this transformation saves Ford from total humiliation. Falstaff, however, is not so lucky. Falstaff is eventually forced to transform and becomes the symbol of Actaeon, the lustful hunter who is caught watching Artemis and her nymphs bathe in the woods. In the myth Artemis (or Diana) transforms Actaeon into a deer, so that his dogs will hunt him down and tear him to pieces. 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