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Shakespeare & Beyond

Mistress Quickly: From Hostess in 'Henry IV Part 1' to Fairy Queen in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'

Falstaff and Mistress Quickly
Falstaff and Mistress Quickly
Falstaff and Mistress Quickly

Edward Gero as Falstaff and Kate Eastwood Norris as the Hostess / Mistress Quickly in 1 Henry IV, Folger Theatre, 2019. C. Stanley Photography

Henry IV, Part 1 was popular from the time it was first staged around 1597; it was published six times during Shakespeare’s lifetime, and more afterward. The Hostess seems to have been a favorite character from the beginning, ruling the tavern where Prince Hal hangs out with Falstaff. Evidently aware of her popularity with audiences, Shakespeare developed her character further in Henry IV, Part 2, Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Referred to primarily as “the Hostess” in Part 1, she evolves into the more substantial Mistress Quickly as the plays progress.