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Which Shakespeare plays did Arrigo Boito use to create the libretto for Falstaff?
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Giuseppe Verdi
Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi was known for operas such as Rigoletto (1851).
Arrigo Boito created the libretto for Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Falstaff primarily by adapting William Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Windsor.12
To add depth to the character of Falstaff, Boito strengthened this libretto by incorporating passages from Shakespeare’s Henry IV plays. Additionally, the opera's final fugue was loosely based on the "Seven Ages of Man" speech from Shakespeare’s As You Like It.23