Character in The Merry Wives of Windsor
Ford ♂ male
305Lines Spoken
2.1First Scene
5.5Last Scene
11.7%Of Play Dialogue
Ford is the #3 largest role in The Merry Wives of Windsor, speaking 305 lines (11.7% of the play) across 9 scenes from Act 2 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Ford shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Ford’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falstaff | 433 | 16.6% |
| 2 | Mistress Page | 306 | 11.7% |
| 3 | Ford (this role) | 305 | 11.7% |
| 4 | Mistress Quickly | 262 | 10.0% |
| 5 | Sir Hugh Evans | 222 | 8.5% |
| 6 | Mistress Ford | 167 | 6.4% |
| 7 | Page | 144 | 5.5% |
| 8 | Slender | 141 | 5.4% |
| 9 | Shallow | 114 | 4.4% |
| 10 | Host | 107 | 4.1% |
How Ford’s dialogue distributes across the play
Ford’s dramatic peak falls in Act 2 with 133 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 2, Scene 1): “Why, sir, my wife is not young.”
Representative speech (Act 2, Scene 1): “would have nothing lie on my head: I cannot be thus satisfied.”
Who Ford shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Mistress Page | 6 |
| Falstaff | 6 |
| Page | 6 |
| Mistress Ford | 5 |
| Mistress Quickly | 5 |
| Sir Hugh Evans | 4 |
| Pistol | 3 |
| Shallow | 3 |
| Doctor Caius | 3 |
| Robin | 3 |
Questions about Ford
Is Ford the lead role in The Merry Wives of Windsor?
Ford is ranked #3 by line count among 25 speaking characters in The Merry Wives of Windsor — a major role carrying 11.7% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Ford’s longest scene?
Act 2 Scene 2, where Ford speaks 105 lines.
Who does Ford speak to the most?
Ford shares the most scenes with Mistress Page — 6 scenes together across The Merry Wives of Windsor.