Horns
References to horns, antlers, and bucks abound in the play. Since the plot revolves around a man’s suspicion that his wife is cheating him, the connection here is made clear throughout the play: references like these carry with them a literary tradition of symbolizing a man whose wife is being unfaithful, also known as a “cuckold.”
Physical Comedy
One recurring motif in the play is physical or situational comedy. Indeed, Acts Three and Four are markedly similar in their structure, featuring a meeting between Falstaff and Mistress Ford that goes awry at Falstaff's expense. In the first instance, Falstaff is smuggled out of the house in a basket of dirty laundry and thrown into the Thames River. In the second instance, he dresses up like an old woman and inexplicably fools the suspicious Ford. These acts of physical comedy are in many ways inspired by the character of Falstaff himself – physically large and endlessly boastful, Falstaff physical presence invites audiences to be entertained by the prospect of seeing him in an uncomfortable situation.
Witches
There are a number of references throughout the play to witches, both allegedly real witches and woman who the male characters dislike and therefore describe as "witchy." This is most true in the case of Ford, who seems preoccupied with the notion of witches running rampant. In this case, witches become a symbol of Ford's deep-seated mistrust of women in general and his misogynistic perspective that leads him to doubt his wife's fidelity.
The Buck-Basket
The buck-basket obviously has symbolic connections to the antler and horns associated with the theme of cuckoldry, but as a central bit of comedy in the play, the meaning is narrowed to a specific connection to Falstaff. He is hidden in a buck-basket—which is another name for a laundry basket—along with clothes which likely have not been washed for weeks or months at best. The comic business ends with Falstaff winding up in the Thames. This symbolic sequence of events suggests that the sins of Falstaff need to be cleansed in a type of botched baptism.
Emasculation
The humiliations to which Falstaff is subjected by the merry wives create a recurring motif of gender role reversal and emasculation. With each new low, he is reminded again of his advancing age and the effects that nature has upon the sexual potency of men. The practical jokes all place Falstaff in a position of decreased masculine dignity, ultimately suggesting that he is far too old and without sexual energy to go around playing at seduction.
