The scene is set in the town of Windsor in England.

 Scene I: The Garter Inn. Falstaff is composing two love epistles and is disturbed by the arrival of the pompous school-master, Dr. Caius, who demands reparation from Falstaff against his “retainers” Pistol and Bardolph who have robbed him while he was drunk on the previous evening. Falstaff berates his companions, not for robbing the old pedant but for being caught at it. He himself is in dire financial straits and he hopes to better himself by loosening the purse strings of one of two attractive Windsor wives, Alice Ford and Meg Page. He has written identical love letters to them but Pistol and Bardolph refuse to act as his pander. Falstaff sends Robin, the inn pot-boy, off with the letters.

Scene 2: A garden between the houses of Alice Ford and Meg Page. Meg and Alice have received the letters and are encouraged by Nanetta and Mistress Quickly to take some delicious revenge. They leave to discuss it as Ford comes out of his house with Caius, complaining of his treatment at Falstaff’s hands, and by Bardolph and Pistol who have betrayed Falstaff’s intentions towards Ford’s wife. Ford views his impending cuckold’s horns with wrath and goes back into the house to discuss the matter. Young Fenton, following Ford, snatches a few moments and kisses from his sweetheart Nanetta. The others all return, both groups deciding on how to exact their separate revenges: Alice will make an assignation with Falstaff and then discomfort him with the feigned return of her jealous husband. Ford, for his part, is to go disguised as a Master Brook and bribe Falstaff to act as pander between him and his own wife and so unmask him.

Scene I: The Garter Inn. Bardolph and Pistol hypocritically ask Falstaff’s forgiveness while introducing Mistress Quickly with a message from Alice. She indicates that her old friend Alice may be prepared to receive Falstaff between two and three o’clock. Quickly has hardly left when Master “Brook” is announced; he pays Falstaff handsomely to effect a meeting between himself and Mistress Ford. Falstaff hastens to agree.

Scene 2: Fords house. Quickly reports that Falstaff is on his way. The plan is to hide the old knight in a basket of filthy laundry and to empty him into the river. Their merriment is interrupted by Nanetta; her father has promised her hand in marriage to the odious Dr. Caius. Alice cheers her up by promising that it will be over her dead body. The others hide as Falstaff arrives and declares himself. The wooing is rudely interrupted by the actual return of Ford and his cronies who turn the house upside down in an effort to find the cuckoo in the nest. At first Falstaff hides behind a screen but as soon as Ford has left the room he is stuffed into the laundry basket. Ford returns and is more indignant than ever, until Alice shows her husband the spectacle of the laundry basket, dirty sheets, Falstaff, and all floating down the river Thames.

Scene I: The courtyard of the Garter Inn. Falstaff, back at the Inn, drying off, is disillusioned with

life. Quickly appears with another note from Alice apologizing for the afternoon’s debacle and asking for another assignation. Quickly slowly regains Sir John’s confidence: he is to disguise himself as Herne, the ghostly Black Huntsman, and meet her at midnight under Herne’s oak in Windsor Forest.

Scene 2: Herne’ s Oak in Windsor Forest. It is a moonlit night and everyone is in disguise. Falstaff approaches. His awkward love-making is interrupted by “supernatural” sounds. Alice flees while Falstaff flings himself to the ground at the foot of the oak tree. The whole company appears, variously disguised as elves, fairies, demons and other horrors. They give Falstaff a sound thrashing to teach him to mend his ways. The masquerade falls apart when Falstaff recognizes Bardolph by his alcoholic breath. In the merriment that follows all is forgiven. Falstaff suggests a final chorus to be followed by supper. The great fugue begins (“Tutto nel mondo è burla”): the world’s a fool and man was born for jesting. Everyone gets cheated and deluded (“tutti gabbati’), but the best laugh of all comes from him who laughs last.