language-mangling on Quickly’s part and puns on Falstaff’s part. Quickly explains that Ford’s servants, John and Robert, “mistook their erection” (34-35). Quickly means to say direction (their instructions). Falstaff knows what she meant, but he responds with a pun on erection (directly meaning something, such as a house, that has been built. Of course, there is also the double entendre): “So did I mine, to build upon a foolish woman’s promise” (36-37). The pun is humorous. More importantly, Falstaff appears to have learned a lesson: he knows that he cannot trust a woman’s promise, and he has vowed never to allow himself to be tricked in such a manner again. The lesson, though, is not really learned. His pride and his greed are much bigger than the lesson that he has learned, and he informs Mistress Quickly that he will visit Mistress Ford a second time.
After the housekeeper exits, Master Brooke (that is, Master Ford in disguise) appears and discusses what had occurred at his house. Falstaff comically narrates the details of his visit and confesses to his hiding in the buck-basket to escape Mistress Ford’s jealous husband. Falstaff declares that he suffered a triple misfortune: “I suffered the pangs of three several deaths” (93-94):