The Country Wife

by

William Wycherley

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The Country Wife: Act 2 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
In Pinchwife’s house, Margery Pinchwife complains to Alithea, Pinchwife’s sister, that Pinchwife never lets her go out into town or wear pretty clothes. Alithea tells her that Pinchwife is jealous but reminds her that he took her to the theatre the night before. Margery complains that he would not let her sit with “the gentry” because only “naughty women” sat there. She confesses that she found the actors very attractive and Alithea is amused. She tells Margery that she should not admire the actors, but Margery is confused and wonders how she can control this.
Margery is unhappy with the way Pinchwife controls her and refuses to let her experience town life. Pinchwife is a parody of a middle-class Puritan from the period, who believes that the “gentry” are all promiscuous hedonists. The Restoration was a period of rebellion against these puritanical impulses, as the Puritans, under Oliver Cromwell, had ruled Britain for eighteen years prior to Charles II’s ascension. Margery does not understand the etiquette of the city and does not realize that, even though she is naturally attracted to other men, she must pretend that she is not for the sake of appearances and because she is married.
Themes
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
Town vs. Country Theme Icon
Literary Devices
Pinchwife returns and snaps at Margery as soon as he comes in. Margery begins to cry and Alithea reprimands him. Pinchwife shouts at Alithea that it is her fault Margery wishes to go to town because Alithea sets a bad example by swanning around the town herself. Alithea retorts that, although she goes into town often, she is an honest woman and Margery will not learn any bad habits from her. Pinchwife says that he heard Alithea talking to Margery about actors, but Margery explains that Alithea told her off for “liking the playermen.”
Pinchwife misogynistically blames his sister for leading Margery astray. This reflects puritanical, Christian beliefs that women were more corrupt than men and that women needed men’s guidance and protection to be kept pure. However, Alithea is adamant that, although she mingles in the city, she is not corrupted because she does not partake in corrupt activities. This suggests that Pinchwife’s theory, that people will be corrupted by their proximity to sin, is false.
Themes
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
Town vs. Country Theme Icon
Pacified slightly, Pinchwife explains to Margery that she must not be like the corrupt town women who cheat on their husbands. He describes the hedonistic pleasures of the town to Margery, who listens intently and seems to like the thought of going into London. Pinchwife, disgruntled, reminds her that she cannot be loyal to him and also love the town, but Margery feels that it is not her fault; when he “forbids” her from going she wants to go even more. Alithea remarks that this is always the way.
By describing the pleasures of the town, which he has forbidden Margery from enjoying, he makes them even more appealing to her. If he had not told her about them, she is unlikely to have sought them out herself. This suggests that censoring things makes them more attractive. Alithea, who is wiser than Pinchwife, realizes this and predicts Margery’s reaction. Pinchwife, however, believes that if Margery goes into town, her innocence will be corrupted. He does not have any faith that she can observe town behavior without practicing it herself.
Themes
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
Town vs. Country Theme Icon
Quotes
Margery begs Pinchwife to take her into town. Pinchwife tries to dissuade her again and tells her that, if she goes to town, men might see her and fall in love with her. This only seems to excite Margery, so he tells her that a young man has already seen her when she was at the theatre and has fallen in love with her. Pinchwife is dismayed to find that Margery is delighted by this news. She begs to know who the young man is.
Again, Pinchwife increases Margery’s curiosity when he suggests that she has an admirer. This young man is Horner, as Pinchwife assumed from Horner’s teasing that he is in love with Margery.
Themes
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
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Pinchwife warns Margery that this young man would destroy her, but Margery cannot understand why someone who loves her would hurt her. As they are arguing, Pinchwife hears voices approach. He drags Margery to her chamber and locks her in as Harcourt and Sparkish arrive. 
Margery does not understand the social rules of the city. She does not realize that men view women as conquests and will ruin their reputations by bragging after they have seduced them. Neither does she realize that women are expected to be “virtuous” and dislike sex. Pinchwife is very abusive of Margery and keeps her locked up like a prisoner.
Themes
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
Town vs. Country Theme Icon
Literary Devices
Sparkish, who is engaged to Alithea, shows her off to Harcourt and invites him to admire her beauty. Pinchwife watches incredulously as Harcourt, who is struck by Alithea’s beauty, compliments and begins to court her. Sparkish, who does not notice that he is mortifying Alithea, forces her and Harcourt into a corner together so that Harcourt may learn how witty she is. While Sparkish is away, Harcourt pleads with Alithea not to marry Sparkish but to marry him instead. 
Sparkish does not care about Alithea’s feelings and shows her off to make himself look good. He views her as an extension of his own reputation, rather than a wife or companion. Pinchwife can see what Harcourt’s is doing but Sparkish is totally blind to it. Sparkish is the equivalent of Pinchwife as, while Pinchwife drives Margery to cheat by forcing her away from other men, Sparkish drives Alithea to cheat by forcing her together with Harcourt to boost his own ego.
Themes
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
Quotes
Alithea insists that it is “too late”; arrangements have already been made for her marriage to Sparkish. She does not wish to betray him and, besides, she is impressed by Sparkish’s lack of jealousy because she believes it proves that he thinks she is very virtuous. Harcourt tries to persuade her that Sparkish is only marrying her for her money and that he is a conceited fool.
Sparkish is not jealous because he doesn’t care about Alithea, not because he believes she is incapable of infidelity. He is so conceited that he assumes she must feel lucky to have him and, therefore, could not fall for another man. Although jealousy is portrayed as a destructive emotion, it is also portrayed as essential, in small amounts, to love, since it proves a person’s affection.
Themes
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Offended, Alithea tells Sparkish that Harcourt has been flirting with her, but Sparkish dismisses her concerns. She then tells him that Harcourt called him an “idiot” and, at this, Sparkish flies into a rage and threatens to kill Harcourt for insulting his “honor.” He challenges Harcourt to a duel, which he thinks is a good opportunity to show off his valor in front of Alithea, but Alithea intervenes and tells Sparkish that Harcourt only said these things to her so that he could test her loyalty to Sparkish.
Sparkish does not listen to Alithea when she tells him that Harcourt has upset her. He only reacts when he thinks Harcourt has insulted his own reputation, which shows that he only cares about himself and how things make him look. He tries to impress Alithea by threatening to kill Harcourt and this makes Alithea realize that she has feelings for Harcourt and does not want him hurt.
Themes
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Literary Devices
Sparkish accepts Alithea’s story and the three of them set off to the theatre. Pinchwife is left alone, amazed at what he has just witnessed. He is surprised when Lady Fidget, Mrs. Dainty Fidget, and Mrs. Squeamish, a friend of theirs, arrive to take Margery to the theatre. He will not let them in to see her and he eventually storms off, leaving the three ladies alone.
Pinchwife will not associate with “honorable” ladies because, despite their noble reputations, he believes they are promiscuous and will corrupt Margery.
Themes
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
Town vs. Country Theme Icon
Left alone, the women lament their circumstances. They complain that “men of quality” never come and visit them anymore and, instead, spend all their time running after “common women.” When “men of quality” do come to see them, they cannot keep a secret and tell everyone about the affair, which is an affront to the ladies’ “honor.” Lady Fidget suggests that, with a “man of quality,” an affair may be less shameful, but Mrs. Dainty Fidget thinks that this makes it less fun.
The women complain that noble men do not visit them; instead they spend their time with prostitutes or women without titles. It is ironic that the ladies look down on common women for being “dishonorable” as their own “honor” is only a façade. The “men of quality” are also only “men of quality” in title and reputation, and not in reality, as they, too, are promiscuous and behave dishonestly. The ladies prefer to sleep with “rakes,” or men with reputations as womanizers, because this is the most damaging to their reputations if they get caught, the most socially taboo and, therefore, the most exciting.
Themes
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
Quotes
Literary Devices
While the ladies are talking, Sir Jasper, Horner, and Dorilant approach. Sir Jasper tells them that he has an engagement that evening and, therefore, Horner and Dorilant will take the ladies to the theatre. The ladies are horrified and refuse to be seen in public with a pair of known “rakes.” Dorilant is indignant and leaves when he hears this. To appease her, Sir Jasper tells Lady Fidget that Horner is a bad player at cards and that she may cheat him out of some money if she agrees to go.
The ladies maintain their façade of “honor” and pretend that they do not want to be seen with known womanizers like Horner and Dorilant. At the same time, Dorilant objects to being seen with “virtuous” women, as this may damage his reputation as a ladies man. Sir Jasper correctly predicts that his wife will only spend time with an impotent man if she can get something from him; either money or sex. Gambling and card games were pursuits which were outlawed by the Puritans under Cromwell’s rule, but which returned during the court of Charles II.
Themes
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
Sir Jasper teases Horner and invites him to take Lady Fidget aside to persuade her himself. Horner agrees to do so and, aside, remarks that he feels confident he can trust Lady Fidget with his secret.
Horner knows that Lady Fidget loves sex, because she is genuinely disgusted by and wants nothing to do with a man who is impotent.
Themes
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
Literary Devices
When Lady Fidget hears the truth about Horner’s impotence she is enraptured and feels that Horner is a “true man of honor” as, she thinks, he has ruined his own reputation for her sake. Her only qualm is that word might get out that his impotence is fabricated, but Horner assures her that no one would believe him even if he tried to undo the rumors now.
Lady Fidget is flattered that Horner has put her reputation before his own. If people believe he is impotent, then she can visit him freely without compromising her “honor.” Of course, Horner also gets something out of this, as he can make her his mistress. Since Restoration society loves scandal, they will choose to believe the most shocking story (the story of Horner’s impotence) over the truth.
Themes
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire  Theme Icon
Quotes
Literary Devices
Utterly mollified, Lady Fidget announces to Mrs. Dainty Fidget and Mrs. Squeamish that Horner is an excellent companion for them all and Sir Jasper hurries off to attend to business, confident that he has provided his “honorable” wife and sister with a “innocent playfellow.”
It is ironic that Sir Jasper thinks the ladies will be “innocently” entertained, when, really, they will be seduced by Horner.
Themes
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny  Theme Icon
Literary Devices