In “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” the jealous husband’s surname is Ford.
Master Ford is the husband of Mistress Ford, one of the two “merry wives” whom Sir John Falstaff attempts to court for financial advantage. Unlike George Page, the other husband, Ford is intensely suspicious of Falstaff and fears that the knight may be pursuing his wife. His jealousy drives much of the play’s comic action.
Ford disguises himself as “Master Brook” and approaches Falstaff, pretending to be a man in love with Mistress Ford. He even offers Falstaff money to woo her first, hoping to expose an affair. The plan repeatedly backfires: the wives outwit Falstaff, hide him in a laundry basket, and have him dumped into the river when Ford comes searching.
The surname is easy to confuse with Page because both women are married to prominent Windsor gentlemen. Page is the more trusting husband, while Ford’s jealousy is mocked rather than treated as the tragic obsession seen in “Othello.” Ford eventually learns that his suspicions were unfounded and joins the wives’ final prank against Falstaff.