Falstaff's Finances
Falstaff is a man who at the beginning of the play has no money. Still, he maintains a wealthy image by keeping his servants and insisting they must serve him no matter what. He is also a knight and a member of the nobility, and is of course close friends with Prince Hal. His financial situation is a reflection of his corrupt attitude and his predilection for debauchery.
Falstaff's Plot
Falstaff decides to get out of financial troubles by wooing two married women who allegedly control their husband's wealth. This is an ironic an arguably idiotic plan, as the wives' reputations would be permanently destroyed by any dalliances outside of their marriages. It does, however, emphasize Falstaff's arrogance and false sense of self-importance, as he thinks he can seduce women who are both married and uninterested in him.
The Wives' Revenge
Of course, the central irony of the play is that Falstaff has no idea that Mistress Page and Mistress Ford are orchestrating a series of embarrassments for Falstaff. Indeed, he thinks they are both interested in him and willing to betray their marriages to be with him. Falstaff's lack of awareness is the fundamental example of dramatic irony in the play.
Ford's Jealousy
Of course, Falstaff is not the only character in the play who experiences humiliation via dramatic irony. Ford is equally unaware that his wife is simply toying with Falstaff rather than having an affair. As such, he embarrasses himself repeatedly in his quest to catch Mistress Ford and Falstaff in the act, and even assumes a new identity as Brooke to help himself glean more information about the (nonexistent) affair. The audience, of course, is well aware that Mistress Ford remains faithful to her husband and that Falstaff is just another target of the merry wives' whims.
