What the dickens Why Should I Care

Why Should I Care?

Let's face it. Reading just about any one of Shakespeare's plays can offer a depressing glimpse into the kinds of gender inequalities faced by 16th- and 17th-century women. That said, The Merry Wives of Windsor is a little different.

Sure, its leading ladies are up against guys who think all women are either untrustworthy, promiscuous, or simply a means of securing a financial future. (Falstaff and Ford, we're looking at you.) But, the coolest thing about Merry Wives is that the women always end up on top.

No wives were harmed or "tamed" during the production of this play. In fact, it's the men who are taught a thing or two about how to behave. And the wives don't just get the better of husbands in this play. They band together to teach Falstaff a lesson for trying to seduce them (with identical love letters, no less).

These women are faithful, devoted, and they have fun in the process. They know how to play a practical joke without going too far, and they know how to swear and make quick comebacks to boot.

We think that's pretty cool, regardless of what century you're from.