William Wycherley's The Country Wife

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Recommended: William Wycherley's The Country Wife is a comedy of manners which satirizes the moral inclinations of the 18th century

William Wycherley’s The Country Wife, distinguishes the distinction of innocent Country folks and the city wit as characters react to crises they encounter differently. Margery’s naivety acknowledges her as a country wife as she mistakes Horner’s cuckoldry of her husband to be Horner’s love for her. As the truth behind Horner’s secret is revealed, Margery is forced to lie in order to protect the reputations of the city men and women. Mr. Pintchwife’s control over Margery around Horner in comparison to the other city men, Sir Jaspar and Sparkish, in fear of being cuckolded, as well as Margery’s naivety and her transition from country to city wife, demonstrates the implicit difference of city and country.
Fear of becoming a victim of cuckoldry, Mr.Pintchwife decides to marry a country woman, Margery Pintchwife, as he believes her naivety reduces the prospect of infidelity in their marriage. His worry becomes so extensive that he goes to extreme measures to prevent unfaithfulness. Not only does Mr.Pintchwife restrict Margery’s freedom by locking her in a room thus shielding her from other men, he controls and devalues Margery. As Horner questions about Margery, Pintchwife claims Margery “has no beauty but her youth; no attraction but her modesty” (180). By diminishing Margery’s appearance Pintchwife is reducing any opinion of his wife and attempting to make her …show more content…

Lady Fidget claims Horner “is [her] false rogue” (253) revealing Horner’s secret, surprising Squeamish and Dainty Fidget as each made the assumption Horner was exclusively their lover. To protect the reputations of Horner, Lady Fidget, Dainty Fidget, and Mistress Squeamish and keep Horner’s secret, Lady Fidget convinces the women to be silent about their adultery. Lady Fidget claims “there’s no remedy; sister sharers, let us not fall out, but have

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