The Merry Wives of Windsor · Chapter
Scene III explained
At the Garter Inn, Bardolph informs the Host that some Germans wish to hire three horses to meet a Duke arriving at court.
What happens
At the Garter Inn, Bardolph informs the Host that some Germans wish to hire three horses to meet a Duke arriving at court. The Host, suspicious of the secretive Duke and eager to recoup his losses from housing the Germans for a week, agrees to provide the horses but intends to overcharge them.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This scene represents the dramatic climax because it forces Anne Page into a direct emotional and psychologica…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Deception and Disguise
The Host's suspicion of the Germans' secretive Duke hints at potential deception or hidden motives.
Characters to notice
- Host of the Garter
The Host is suspicious of the Germans' request and plans to overcharge them for the horses.
- Bardolph
Bardolph delivers the Germans' request for horses to the Host.
Key passages
“Sir, the Germans desire to have three of your horses; the Duke himself will be tomorrow at court, and they are going to meet him.”
Bardolph tells the Host that some German gentlemen want to borrow three horses because a Duke is arriving at court tomorrow and they need to go meet him.
Bardolph relays the Germans' request to the Host.
“They shall have my horses, but I'll make them pay; I'll sauce them; they have had my house a week at command; I have turned away my other guests.”
The Host agrees to lend the horses but intends to charge them heavily, as they have been staying at his inn for a week without paying and he has lost business from other customers.
The Host expresses his determination to profit from the Germans.
