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Restoration drama has been characteristic of the 18 th century, and that time was full of sexual adventured among the representatives of the aristocracy. The aim of this work is to closer look at Wycherley's The Country Wife, which was written in 1675 and has become a bright example of the comedy to use sexual game as a code for depiction of the social relation in the society of that period. Outline I. Restoration of the comedy 3 The puritan ban which existed for about 18 years and was eliminated has resulted in the appearance of written works, clearly depicting the sexual intrigues of the society of that time. II. The plot and general characteristics of the play 3 The play has been designed in the traditions of the restoration comedy, having three different plots and subject lines, of which the line of relations between Pinchwife and his wife Margery is of highest interest for the aims of the present work.
III. Margery Pinchwife and her character 4 Despite Margery's country origin and the desire of her husband to conceal her beauty and make her seem naive, she is able to accept the rules of sexual game which exist in the society and to use them for her own sake. IV. Conclusion Restoration of the 18 th century drama The work is devoted to the discussion of the William Wycherley's comedy Country Wife, which appears to be the example of the 18 th century restoration drama. The aim of the work is to characterize the main character of the play, Mrs Pinchwife, and her behavior and sexuality. The main thesis of the work is that Margery Pinchwife was able to control her sexuality, simultaneously creating the false impression of being completely manipulated by her husband.
The elimination of the puritan ban, which lasted for more than 18 years, has resulted in the active appearance of various plays, especially relating to the aristocratic surrounding and the irony of the relations which were characteristic of that period of time. Wycherley was one of the talented authors, who tried to show not only the dominance of the urban aristocratic population, but was celebrating the lifestyle of sexual intrigue and conquest, especially conquest that served to humiliate the husbands of London middle classes and to avenge, in sexual arena, the marginalization and exile suffered by royalists under Cromwell. (Canfield, 1996) Thus, restoration of the comedy was not simply an event of the literary importance, but it was also a political means of expressing the attitudes of that time. For the comedy of the restoration period it was characteristic to have three different plots, which acted simultaneously in three different places and were shown by the author in turn. In his Country Wife Wycherley the first plot is represented by the actions of Horner, who used a trick which him being impotent, which ultimately would allow him visit places and go as far as no other man could be allowed to.
This trick was taken by the author from the Terence's Eunuch us. (Kosovsky, 1985) The second plot is based on the interactions of Harcourt and Alithea, Pinchwife's sister; this plot carries no direct source and is a usual love story between a man and a woman. The third plot, however, is of the highest interest for this work, because it is concentrated around the relations between Pinchwife and his wife Margery, and which clearly defines the character of his country wife and allows making certain conclusions about her behavior. The first act already lets the reader make certain suggestions as for the relations between Pinchwife and his wife, because his wish to conceal the fact of him being married, as well as his disappointment at knowing that other men have already seen his wife with him in the theatre suggests, that he is rather jealous and does not want anyone to see his wife. Death! Does he know Im married too? I thought to have concealed it from him at least. (Wycherley 1675, Act I) Pinchwife himself represents his wife as a country woman, healthy and neat, not beautiful but with sound heritage.
No, no; she has no beauty but her youth, no attraction but her modesty: wholesome, homely and housewifely; thats all. (Wycherley 1675, Act I, Scene I) However, a question appears, if Mrs Pinchwife is so modest and not attractive at all, why Pinchwife tries so hard to conceal her from the eyes of others in London, especially other men? Margery Pinchwife, despite of the fact of her being a country woman, appears to be not as innocent, as her husband tries to represent her; moreover, her sexuality is overwhelming her existence, and like any woman of that time she is subjected to the different temptations, though tries to pretend being a devoted wife to her husband. Thus, in the question as for her sexuality, which may seem to be strictly controlled by her husband, she appears to be more than inventive, far from naive; though on the other hand, Horner is the one to wake up Mrs Pinchwife's sexuality and to make her behave the way an aristocratic woman would behave. Even the fact that Pinchwife puts a male dress on her, does not conceal her beauty: Horn. Who is that pretty youth with him, Spanish? Spark.
I believe his wifes brother, because hes something like her: but I never saw her but once. Horn. Extremely handsome; I have seen a face like it too. Let us followed. (Wycherley 1675, Act III, Scene II) Pinchwife lives according to the principle, which he himself expressed in the Act III of the play: He that shows his wife or money, will be in danger of having them borrowed sometimes.
It is even more interesting to see that he is not only unable to conceal his wifes sexuality and to rule it, but he himself, with his actions, leads himself into the vicious circle, because when Margery is dressed as a young man, not only her beauty shows itself, but Pinchwife is not able to confess this is his wife and thus has to tolerate the behavior of Horner and other men, who have understood the essence of this deed and use Pinchwife's weakness to resist their open showing court to Mrs Pinchwife, who herself is happy and pleased to accept this courtesy. The peak of Margery's sexuality, behavior and inventiveness is shown through the scene of her writing the letter to Horner, and here another proof of her sexuality being ruled by Margery herself is seen, though she is also able to create an impression of being fully controlled by her husband, as he wants it to be. Not only she is able to send Horner a letter full of lovely expressions and feelings, but she uses the skill of letter-writing, given to her by her husband, for her own sake. Pinch. Lets see, what have you writ? -[Takes the paper and reads]. Though I suffered last night your kisses and embraces-Thou impudent creature!
Where is nauseous and loathed? Mrs. Pinch. I cant abide to write such filthy words.
Pinch. Once more write as Id have you, and question it not, or I will spoil thy writing with this. I will stab out those eyes that cause my mischief. (Wycherley 1675, Act IV, Scene I) Thus, on the one hand, Margery shows her humility and does what her husbands wants from her, but on the other hand, as any woman, no matter if she was born in the country, or could be urban resident, she reflects on the means of sending Horner other letter, which she wants to. Margery Pinchwife was drawn by Wycherley as the traditional image of the woman of that time. Sexual adventures were widely spread and they were not surprising anyone in the middle class or aristocratic society. Margery was depicted as the woman who, despite her origin, was able to control her actions and keep herself within the limits of the allowed behavior for her husband.
Moreover, even during the moments when she could easily be caught by Pinchwife, she managed to invent the stories and play a naive creature. Simultaneously, her husband through his ardent wish to keep her within the house, not letting her outside and concealing her from all other men, made her first of all, want adventures, and second, his actions were used by her as a means of achieving her goals, and not limiting her freedom as Pinchwife wanted it. There is still the question of how to interpret the Country Wife. During the 19 th century the play was actively criticized for its openness and indecency, but with the changing times, it has been admitted to be original and interesting work. The suggestion of Canfield (1996) that Wycherley was trying to make Margery the instrument of depicting the games, which took place not between a man and a woman, but between men of different class at that time; Margery was the means of conducting that game between Pinchwife and Horner, and it was the sign of the ideological tint, which the play carried. Sexual game and the character of Margery Pinchwife is just a code for Wycherley to depict the real relations and no existing solidarity between the classes, as well as inside the separate class itself.
Sexuality was wisely chosen for being relevant at that time, and making people laugh; the writer only stressed the relevance of the social problems which existed at his time. Works cited Canfield, Douglas. Tricksters and Estates: On the Ideology of Restoration Comedy. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1996 Kosovsky, S.
The Country Wife: Anatomies of Male Homosocial Desire. In: Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire, New York, Columbia University Press, 1985. Wycherley, William. The Country Wife. 1675. Bibliomania. 09 February 2007. < web >
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