Shakespeare, a commoner himself, often presented social criticism under the guise of comedy or tragedy. Shakespeare realized that direct criticism or condemnation of the social system was not wise, but in his dramatic plays he could present his views and criticism about society and its faults.
Shallow, however, is not so tactful and does not realize the futility of his complaint. He tells Evans that he will complain to the “Star Chamber,” the high court, if he cannot get legal satisfaction in Windsor. Shallow adds, “If he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, Esquire” (2-3). Shallow mistakenly thinks that his rank in society puts him on an equal footing with Falstaff: Shallow mistakenly believes that he can legally defeat any number of knights if he is in the right.
The reader should note that titles before a name do not always designate rank in society. Both Hugh Evans and John Falstaff are referred to as “Sir,” but the meaning is different for these two men. Sir John Falstaff is called Sir because he is a knight: he is an aristocrat. Sir Hugh Evans is called Sir because he is a clergyman, and the word Sir has no more meaning than the word Mister. It is a term of respect, but Evans is clearly not an aristocrat.
Similarly, the word esquire also had more than one meaning during the Renaissance. The word could indicate (1) a person holding a rank just below that of knight, indicating that the person is a minor aristocrat. But the word could also indicate (2) a person holding an office of trust, such as a justice of the peace. In this second instance, the person is not