Shakespeare: The Merry Wives Of Windsor

The Merry Wives Of Windsor is a trivial piece of nothing. There's a legend that Shakespeare was specially requested to write a play to continue the life of Sir John Falstaff, and this play has the feeling of something written for a motive other than writing something great.

The play may be the first occurrence of the phrase "The world is my oyster". It has a different tone than we see it today, though:

"Why, then the world's mine oyster,
Which I with sword will open."

That is to say, "the world will be my source of money, which I'll get through violence."

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