베르디 오페라 『폴스타프』의 풍자극에서 낭만희극으로의 전이

Abstract

Verdi composed his comic opera, Falstaff, on the basis of Boito’s Falstaff adapted from Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. Verdi asked Boito to change the original work into a tighter structure for operatic effects which should be shorter and more passionate because of the characteristic of opera. Particularly, Boito omits or changes some scenes and characters in Falstaff to create his original comic effects. His work can be classified not only as ‘satire’ of major plot focusing on punishing immoral Falstaff, but also ‘romantic comedy’ of subplot focusing on the romance of Fenton and Nanette. Boito changes the title of The Merry Wives of Windsor into Falstaff in order to concentrate on Falstaff who should be satirized and punished as a scapegoat for purging the hypocritical patriarchy. Falstaff tries to solve his financial problem of a degenerated knight by making love with rich women such as Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page. He dares to send his love letters with same contents to these women simultaneously. However, his conspiracy is known to merry wives of Windsor, so that they plan to punish him by means of feministic sisterhood. Mrs. Quickly seduces Falstaff to come to the house of Mrs. Ford by informing him of her acceptance of his love. However, he comes to be threatened by the violence of Ford who doubts about his wife's chastity. Falstaff is thrown away infamously to the River Thames covered with dirty clothes in the basket for his survival. The love affair of Fenton and Nanette develops as the subplot of romantic comedy together with the major plot of satire at the same time. In spite of objection of Ford, Nanette and Fenton enjoy their pure love behind the folding screen even in the violent scene of Ford's searching out the lover of his wife. Fenton’s love is very pure in comparison with that of original work of Shakespeare, which can be evaluated as pure model of romantic comedy. In the original work, he shows his secular greed for Ann's inheritance from her father. The romantic comedy of Fenton and Nanette takes place of the satire of Falstaff in ‘The Herne the Hunter Play.’ After the punishment of Falstaff through the teasing of the community, Mrs. Ford plans stealthily to lead Fenton and Nanetter to marriage against Ford's strategy by which Dr. Cajus is intended to marry Nanette by patriarchal authority of Ford. Dr. Cajus is completely teased after taking off the mask of Bardolf who has been thought to be Nanette. Conclusively, romantic lovers and merry wives manage to win the game of marriage with conservative men who regard marriage as political dealing. In the last part of the opera, Nanette asks the forgiveness of her father which is needed to create festivity and reconciliation of marriage. Also, Ford invites Falstaff to the festivity of his daughter's marriage as a romantic comedy. At the last scene. this satiric comedy is changed into typical romantic comedy in spite of overwhelming correction of major plot.