I understand that Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor was set more or less in his time period. I'm wondering specifically about things that would have been happening or popular at the time that are possibly referenced in the play, that would have been funny at the time. But due to our (my) lack of knowledge of the specific history of the time, the joke is lost on us.
One example springs to mind, but please feel free to give others. The Host of the Garter Inn says something about Germans being honest men. I don't know how the English regarded the Germans in this time period, so I don't know if this is being meant as sarcastic or sincere or something else entirely!
Or if there are other bits that you think I should know how funny they are in context, please share!
hi! there are a few Shakespeare experts here, but it might be worth x-posting this to /r/AskLiteraryStudies
Regarding the German joke, it could go one of two ways:
It may be a reference to German mercenaries, namely Landsknecht. In comedies of the time (speaking from a focus on Italy, but I'm also familiar with other European literatures), soldiers are usually stereotyped as drinkers, fighters, and womanizers--anything but honest men--especially mercenaries, who were seen as greedy, fighting for money rather than glory or love of country. I don't know much about landsknecht activity in England, but if the men in the scene were soldiers, it's an ironic statement.
On the other hand, it may not be a joke at all. Germany, as the cradle of the protestant reformation, was seen as a particularly pious nation, especially compared to Italy, where the corrupt heart of the Catholic Church in Rome had sucked all piety from the people. So it may also be based on the stereotype that Germans citizens are very religious, perhaps to a fault.