The Merry Wives of Windsor begins with Parson Evans receiving a complaint from Justice Shallow and nephew Slender that Sir John Falstaff is again causing trouble, chasing the fair Mistress Anne Page. Slender falls in love with Anne but is too shy to tell her and propose. Thus Evans decides to help his nephew by having Slender’s servant Simple send a letter to Anne’s friend Mistress Quickly so she might help Slender. Running out of money, Sir John decides to seduce his way into money by sleeping with the wives of both Page and Ford. Disgusted, Sir John’s friends Pistol and Nym inform the wives in secret. Mistress Quickly tells Simple she will help Slender woo Anne but this is overheard by Doctor Caius, who also loving Anne, challenges Parson Evans to a duel for interfering. Fenton also loves Anne…

Meanwhile Mrs Ford and Mrs Page discover Sir John Falstaff’s letters to be identical, plotting with expert prankster Mistress Quickly to punish him. Likewise, Mr Ford and Mr Page learn of Sir John’s plans from Pistol and Nym. Whilst Page trusts his wife, Ford is not so sure, taking the disguise of Brooke to divine Falstaff’s intentions. Brooke offers Falstaff money to sleep with Mrs Ford to stop Falstaff, Falstaff agreeing but also insulting Brooke, unaware that he is Ford. Meanwhile, Caius waits in a field for Parson Evans to show up which he does not.Evans, though is also waiting for Caius to show but is in another field. Eventually both learn that the Host gave them different locations to stop the duel both uniting to make the Host pay for this.

Falstaff arrives to seduce Ford’s wife, Mrs Page arriving to warn Falstaff of Mr Ford’s arrival. Panicking, the women convince Falstaff into hiding in a trunk full of dirty laundry they then have thrown into a muddy ditch. Ford arrives, not finding Falstaff. Meanwhile Fenton declares his love for Anne. Anne loves Fenton but Mr Page wants her to marry Slender, Mrs Page preferring Caius. Brooke arrives, Falstaff recounting his wet ordeal but also his next meeting… At Mrs Ford’s house, Falstaff again is warned of Mr Ford’s imminent arrival but Ford does turn up and they decide to hide Falstaff this time as a woman to escape injury. Angry at Ford’s distrust, Mrs Page and Ford have the trunk once again taken out but without Falstaff. Seeing what he thinks is the aunt of Mistress Ford’s maid, Ford beats up the Brainford woman (Falstaff). Now the women reveal all to their husbands, Ford apologizing for doubting his wife and now the two women decide to promise to meet Falstaff together at midnight where children disguised as fairies can terrify Falstaff.

Meanwhile, Mr Page has chosen Slender to be Anne’s husband but Mrs Page wants her daughter to marry Caius. Caius and Parson Evans play a prank on the Host. Anne has chosen to marry Fenton but to fool her parent’s wishes she will not be wearing white as Mr Page told Slender nor green as Mrs Page told Caius, both men making away with children wearing these colours! Falstaff arrives at the oak giddy with excitement, only to be tormented by fairies and in his terror, laughed at by most of Windsor. Anne’s elopement with Fenton is accepted and Mistress Quickly informs Falstaff of the pranks to which he famously acknowledges, “I do begin to perceive that I am made an ass.”

Measure for Measure begins with Vincentio, the Duke of Vienna, entrusting his deputy Angelo to rule for him whilst he is on leave. Vincentio gives Angelo the power to enforce Vienna’s many rules that Vincentio has increasingly been lax enforcing. Seeing Angelo as strict and uncompromising, Vincentio believes Angelo to be the perfect man to do what he will not; enforce the law without exception. However, Vincentio is not totally trusting of Angelo; instead of leaving town, he instead disguises himself as a friar to see check up on Angelo… Angelo is as uncompromising as Vincentio hoped; almost everyone is shocked by Angelo’s zealous pursuit of the law; Angelo handing out a death sentence to Claudio for making his fiance Julietta pregnant before marriage… Fearing for Claudio’s life, Isabella, Claudio’s sister petitions for Angelo to spare her brother.

Though Angelo wants to ignore Isabella’s pleas, her beauty and pleading win Angelo over but there is a catch… Angelo will spare Claudio’s life if Isabella, a virgin preparing to become a nun, gives herself to Angelo… Disgusted, Isabella refuses. The Friar (Vincentio) who has been trying to comfort Angelo in the prison, overhears Isabella and Claudio’s predicament, resolving to save them both from Angelo. Hilariously, Vincentio still disguised, learns first hand just how lenient the people believe him to be from Lucio.

The Friar’s plan is simple. Isabella will agree to Angelo’s offer but when the moment comes for Isabella to surrender herself to him, she will switch places with Mariana, a woman Vincentio knows was once engaged to Angelo and still loves him. All goes according to plan until Angelo, satisfied, decides to execute Claudio as planned. Vincentio decides to thwart Angelo by convincing Claudio’s jailer to switch another man in Claudio’s place. The Friar uses a letter from the real Duke (himself) to convince the Provost into doing this. Vincentio does not tell Isabella what he has planned, only that she should seek out the Duke of Vienna who will be returning soon to ensure Angelo is brought to justice for what he has done to Claudio and her.

Angelo, learning of the Duke’s return, starts to regret executing Claudio… Throwing away his Friar’s disguise, Vincentio enters Vienna as the Duke, Isabella telling him all that has happenned. The Duke pretends not to believe Isabella, ordering her imprisoned… Friar Peter now confirms Isabella’s story as does Mariana who tells the whole town that she made love to Angelo. The Duke, disguised again as the Friar also backs Isabella’s story… Angelo, knowing he is in very deep trouble, attempts to save himself by discrediting Isabella and placing the rest of the blame on the Friar. The Duke then reveals himself to be the Friar, Angelo now begging for mercy from Isabella and Vincentio. We quickly learn Claudio is alive not dead, Mariana still in love with Angelo, begging with Isabella for Angelo’s life to be spared. This the Duke grants, commanding Angelo to wed Mariana and that Claudio wed Julietta. Vincentio decides to marry the beautiful Isabella… As for Lucio, the Duke remembering all to well Lucio’s words about the Duke being lax with the law, orders Friar Peter to marry him to the prostitute Mistress Keepdown to whom Lucio has given a child, then orders Lucio whipped then hanged. In doing this, Vincentio takes the ultimate revenge by ensuring that a prostitute will inherit Lucio’s wealth.

Loves’s Labour’s Lost begins with Ferdinand, King of Navarre decreeing that his court shall avoid the distraction and labours of love, ignoring the charms of women, to instead concentrate on the labours of study for three years. To do this, the King tells Berowne, Longaville, and Dumain that they may study with him at the court as long as they neither see, talk, love, nor be with a woman in this time, fast once a week and to improve concentration, sleep only three hours a night. The men agree, Berowne believing these rules to be unrealistic, but vowing to at least be the last man to break them. Berowne now brings to the King’s attention that the Princess of France has arrived and seeks his audience. Whilst preparing to receive the Princess, Costard the King’s fool is sent to Don Armado to be punished being desiring Jacquenetta, a country girl. Wanting the girl for himself, Armado instead places Costard in prison. Remembering their vow, the King and company delay seeing the Princess, the Princess and entourage camping outside the court in protest. Eventually the King meets the Princess outside his court, learning she has come to collect on a loan, one Ferdinand denies receiving.

Boyet, who accompanies the Princess, notices the King’s affection for her, the Princess and entourage now plotting to punish the King and company. Don Armado meanwhile, decides to overturn Costard’s punishment if he will only send a letter to Jacquenetta. Unfortunately, the fool bumps into Berowne who also wants the fool to send a letter, this time to Rosaline, part of the Princess’ entourage, whom Berowne loves. Naturally Costard mixes the two letters up, Jacquenetta receiving Berowne’s letter for Rosaline and Rosaline receiving Don Armado’s letter for Jacquenetta. Meanwhile in the court, the King and company’s resolve to shun the charms of women is rapidly falling to pieces…. Berowne, torn by his love for Rosaline, spies King Ferdinand writing a love letter to the Princess. Shortly thereafter, the King and Berowne spy Longaville writing a love letter to Maria, then King, Berowne and Longaville all catch Dumaine writing a love letter to Katherine. Naturally King Ferdinand tells off Longaville and Dumaine but the jig is soon up when Berowne tells off everyone else for breaking their vows unlike him. Unfortunately at this point Jaquenetta comes forward, revealing even Berowne broke his vow!

Deciding their vow is causing more pain than happiness, the men decide their vow is best left broken and forgotten, each seeking their respective love… However when the Lords decide to see the ladies disguised as foreigners, the ladies forewarned by Boyet, decide to play a trick of their own, swapping jewerllery and wearing masks to disguise themselves. Each man departs with the wrong woman, each lady refusing her suitor’s romantic gestures. The King and company return as themselves, the women admitting their trickery. Unfortunately, news comes of the loss of the Princess’ father, forcing her to leave the court. Before leaving, the Princess tells King Ferdinand she will consider his offer of marriage if he can spend a year in a hermitage as both punishment for breaking his vow and to give the Princess time to mourn her lost father. The other ladies exact similar promises from their suitors, the play ending with the ladies vowing to return in a year to see if the men have kept their word.

Cymbeline is the King of Britain. Widowed, Cymbeline has three children two of whom, Guiderius and Arviragus were kidnapped some twenty years ago leaving just daughter Imogen as heir. The King remarries, gaining the worthless stepson Cloten (rhymes with?) from his new but evil Queen. Cymbeline wants Imogen to marry Cloten but she disobeys, marrying her true love Posthumus Leonatus instead. This earns Posthumus banishment and Imogen imprisonment within the King’s castle before they can consumate their marriage. Now in Rome, Posthumus accepts a 10,000 ducat bet that Frenchman Iachimo can seduce his wife Imogen, ruining her chastity. Iachimo fails, but wanting the money, steals a bracelet given by Posthumus as a parting token of their love, convincing Posthumus his wife has cheated. Enraged, Posthumus orders Imogen killed, the servant Pissanio realising Iachimo’s treachery, refusing, but convincing Posthumus she is dead by hiding her as the male Fidele.

Despite being rejected by Posthumus, Imogen still rejects Clotus’ hand in marriage. Now in a place called Milford Haven, Imogen disguised as a man meets her long lost brothers living with a Lord banished years ago by the King called Belarius.Imogen does not know her brothers were kidnapped by Belarius as revenge for being banished. Meanwhil,e Cloten has followed Imogen in disguise as Posthumus still wanting marriage. On his way to defile Imogen and kill Posthumus, Cloten meet Guiderius, Cloten being rude and being decapitated. The head is thrown in the river to hide the crime. Imogen now quite sick, takes a potion to cure her sickness that the Queen gave to servant Pisanio hoping it would reach Imogen or Posthumus. The Queen believes it is a poison she requested from Doctor Cornelius to ensure Cloten became king by either forcing Imogen to marry Cloten if Posthumus died or by killing Imogen making Cloten heir. Realising the Queen’s evil, Doctor Cornelius provides a medicine that does not kill but places Imogen in a deep slumber. Thinking her dead, Imogen is laid to rest above ground next to the dead Cloten. Imogen awakes but thinks the dead body wearing Posthumus’ clothes is not Cloten but Posthumus.

Meanwhile, Caaius Lucius demands the King pay tribute to August Caesar and Rome. The King refuses resulting in Rome declaring war. The Queen stressed from war and her missing son (Clotus ) dies, admitting hating the King in her last hours. Imogen in total grief and despair joins Caius Lucius’ army, the King being captured only to be rescued by sons Guiderius and Arviragus, Posthumus and the banished Belarius. Posthumus is captured by the British who mistake him for a Roman. Posthumus has a vision, seeing his dead father, mother, brothers Guiderius and Arviragus and Jupiter. Imogen finally returns to the King, Iachimo admiting stealing Imogen’s bracelet and good reputation, Clotens’ death is told and Cornelius reveals the truth about the Queens’ potion. Belarius aknowledges kidnapping Guiderius and Arviragus, a soothsayer (fortune teller) reveals a book placed in Posthumus’ lap is from Jupiter, the god, Cymbeline shows mercy toward Belarius and Iachimo and the King finally allows Posthumus and Imogen to remain together…

The Comedy of Errors begins with a merchant of Syracuse named Aegeon being arrested in the town of Ephesus. His crime? The towns of Ephesus and Syracuse have an age long feud meaning a tradesman from Syracuse is far from welcome in Ephesus. Before Solinus, the Duke of Ephesus, Aegeon tells his sad story… Many, many years ago (33 years), Aegeon and his wife Aemilia and their two identical boys both named Antipholus were shipwrecked in a violent storm. With them were their two identical servants, both confusingly named Dromio. Two ships rescue the family, Aegeon losing his wife, one of the identical twins plus one of the two servants who are rescued by a ship last seen heading for Corinth. The other vessel rescues Aegeon, one of the sons and one of the servants who return to Syracuse. When the remaining Antipholus came of age at eighteen, Aegeon allowed Antipholus and the surviving Dromio to search for his long lost brother. The two dissappear… Five years of searching later, Aegeon explains he has arrived in Ephesus to look for his son and servant.

The Duke is saddened by this such that he will not sentence Aegeon immediately for being in Ephesus. The Duke offers Aegeon one day to pay a ransom, otherwise he will die as per custom for citizens of Syracuse being in Ephesus. Unknownest to Aegeon, his wife did survive, a rude fisherman stealing Antipholus and Dromio from her. These two eventually make their way to Ephesus whilst Aemilia, in her grief, becomes a nun in Ephesus.

Havoc soon ensues when Aegeon’s surviving son Antipholus lands in Ephesus, bringing confusion to all since Antipholus appears in one place then across another at impossible speed, Antipholus saying he is from Epidamnum, thus avoiding arrest. Antipholus is quickly mistaken for the Antipholus who is native to Ephesus, eventually dining with Antipholus of Ephesus’ wife Adriana.

Likewise, Ephesus goldsmith Angelo gives Antiopholus of Syracuse a gold chain his Ephesus twin paid for, expecting his payment later. Antipholus of Syracuse falls for Luciana, Adriana’s sister rejecting him, thinking her sister’s husband is trying to seduce her!

Meanwhile, Angelo returns, asking for payment for the chain which Antipholus of Syracuse naturally refuses; he paid for no such chain (though he did receive it). Antipholus of Syracuse is quickly arrested, everyone thinking Antipholus of Syracuse is Antipholus of Ephesus. During all this, Adriana believes her husband and servant Dromio to be mad, such is their jumping from place to place, even forcing them to see a Doctor Pinch. Hilariously, he tries to exorcize the devil from Antipholus’ body.

Adding to the confusion, Adriana meets Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse, thinking they have escaped from the Pinch’s care, not realising those two are still in the doctor’s care. Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse simply don’t know what to think! The Syracuse pair quickly go into hiding in a nearby abbey. Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus escape the doctor’s care, finding Duke Solinus just as Aegeon is about to be executed. Both Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus try to explain their movements, Aegeon recognising his son, Antipholus of Ephesus not recognizing his father. Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse now arrive with an abbess (Aegeon’s wife Aemilia). Both pairs now explain all in front of Solinus, Aegeon being pardoned for entering Ephesus, the family reunited and Antipholus of Syracuse arranging to marry Luciana.

As You Like It begins with a betrayal. In the first act, Duke Frederick replaces his older brother Duke Senior, banishing him to the forest of Arden. Duke Seniors’ daughter Rosalind stays with Duke Frederick’s only daughter Celia until Duke Frederick banishes her too, fearing the people love Rosalind more than Celia. Orlando is the youngest son of Sir Rowland, seemingly a good thing except his elder brother Oliver has denied him the education and the wealth he deserves. Duke Frederick and Oliver hope to see the last of Orlando at a wrestling match but instead Orlando wins, Rosalind falling in love with Orlando. Rosalind flees into Arden, Celia loyally joining her. Tipped off that Oliver wants Orlando dead, Orlando too flees to Arden. Duke Frederick threatens Oliver with the loss of all he has should he not find Orlando, Celia and Rosalind.

In Arden, Celia and Rosalind pretend to be the men Ganymede and Aliena, meeting Touchstone, an irreverent clown. They buy a flock of sheep, a hut and some land from shepards Corin and Silvius. We hear of Jacques, a man with permanent melancholy from Duke Senior. Orlando, now in the forest and hungry demands food from Duke Senior and his followers, only to be offered it warmly. Smitten with Rosalind, and knowing she is in Arden somewhere, Orlando resorts to carving her name on trees and hanging love poems from them. Rosalind finds these and still disguised, asks Orlando how he truly feels about her. Ganymede decides to help Orlando be cured of his lovesickness. This backfires, Orlando only loving Rosalind more, Rosalind too falling more and more in love.

Rosalind watches the romance between the Silvius and the fair Phoebe unfold, Phoebe being quite rude towards Silvius. Seeing this injustice, Ganymede tells Phoebe that she really is not that fair, inadvertantly making Phoebe fall in love with her! Receiving a love letter from Phoebe, Ganymede (Rosalind in disguise) resolves to help Silvius.

Elsewhere in Arden Oliver is nearly killed by a lioness but is saved by Orlando, the two brothers ending their feud. Oliver has fallen in love with Celia and will marry the next day. Orlando laments that he cannot marry Rosalind but Ganymede promises to make this true through magic. At Oliver and Celia’s wedding, Ganymede is revealed to be Rosalind, delighting Orlando. Silvius will marry Phoebe since she no longer loves nor wants to marry Ganymede, now a woman! Orlando and Rosalind, Oliver and Celia, Silvius and Phoebe and Touchstone and Audrey are all married. We learn a hermit changes Frederick for the better and now all exiled are welcomed back to their estates. The play ends with Jacques wanting no matter in these festivities…

All’s Well That Ends Well tells the story of love between different classes. Helena, the main character in All’s Well That Ends Well is the orphaned daughter of the late physician Gerard de Narbon, now taken in by the Countess of Rousillon. In the Countess’ care, she falls deeply in love with Bertram, the Countess’ son but keeps her feelings hidden. Bertram pays no attention to this lowly maid. Now serving in the King of Frances’ court, Bertram learns the King suffers from festula. If only the esteemed physician Gerard de Narbon were alive, the King could be saved…

Meanwhile poor Helena still yearns for Bertram but fears her social station will make a relationship impossible. The Countess senses Helena’s pain, learning it is from being separated from Bertram. Helena reveals her intention to go to Paris and cure the King with potion her late father made, allowing her be close to Bertram again. The Countess encourages Helena in her plan, happy Helena loves her son. Helena tries to cure the King but he will have none of it; he is sick of cures that don’t work. Seizing the initiative, Helena stakes her very life on the potion, but should it work, she asks to have the hand of any available gentleman in the King’s court. The potion works, Helena choosing Bertram to be her husband…

However Bertram has other ideas; he cannot love nor marry the daughter of a physician nor will he try. The King says otherwise and so they are married but Bertram hasn’t accepted marriage lying down, escaping after the wedding for a miltary campagn in Italy. Before leaving, he sends his new wife home to Rousillon to join his mother, declaring by letter that though he may be wed, he has not consummated the marriage nor will he ever! Bertram by letter, also tells Helena that only once she can place the ring on his finger and has borne him a child, can she call him her husband. Helena, distraught, goes on pilgrimage, arriving in Florence, Italy where she takes lodgings under an old widow who has a daughter named Diana. Diana tells Helena of a countryman who has gained great honor in a battle, a certain Count Rousillon. Helena claims to know this man only by name. It turns out Bertram has been trying to seduce Diana, Helena, wishing the Count could love her, his wife.

Helena recounts her ordeal to the widow and Diana, gaining help in getting Helena’s husband back. Diana tricks Bertram into giving her his wedding ring, arranging to bed Bertram at midnight. Instead Helena takes Diana’s place in the dark, the two finally making love. Helena then places a ring on Bertram’s finger given to her by the King of France. Back in Rousillon, The Countess, believing Helena dead, urges her son home. Now in Rousillon, Bertram realises he lost a loving and devoted wife, admitting to the King that he did love Helena… Forgiving Bertram for his mistake, the King decides Bertram shall remarry but spotting the ring he gave Helena on Bertram’s hand, he inquires how it got there, Bertram desperately trying to avoid revealing anything. Diana appears, revealing how that ring got there, demanding Bertram’s hand. Helena now arrives with the widow claiming she not only bears Bertram’s ring but carries child as well, Bertram happily acknowledging Helena as his wife.