He tells the audience that the playwright expects the audience to be offended by the play but his play shant ask your leave to live 37. The country wife is a restoration comedy written in 1675 by william wycherley. The country wife 16751 by william wycherley indignor quicquam reprehendi, non quia crasse at first, or second blow, submit to you. Horner poets, like cudgeled bullies, never do at first or second blow submit to you. Previous section the wife of baths prologue continued next page the wife of. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. He roams throughout the country, posing the question to every woman he. Get all the key plot points of william wycherlys the country wife on one page. A prologue, spoken by the actor playing harry horner, gives the conventional apology for the play that is to follow.
Click below to download the full study guide for the country wife. The country wife, act i the open anthology of literature in english. The countrywife, a comedy, acted at the theatre royal. Front matter indignor quicquam reprehendi, non quia crasse compositum illepideve putetur, sed quia nuper. A pox, keeping a cuckold company after you have had his wife is as tiresome as the company of a country squire to a witty fellow of the town when he has got all his money. Need help with prologue in william wycherlys the country wife. The great poet dante from florence, italy, knows all about this, and he wrote about it in the divine comedy a persons strength comes not from the branches of a. But will provoke you still, and nere have done, till yo. But will provoke you still, and never have done till you are. But will provoke you still, and nere have done, till you are weary first, with laying on. Prologue act i summary in a brief prologue, the actor playing harry horner introduces the play with a message from the playwright. William wycherleys, the country wife, is a play reflective of a new erathe restorationwhich followed an elevenyear period of harsh puritanical rule under oliver cromwell. Features 5 chapter summaries and 5 sections of expert analysis. Read prologue from the story the ex wife by blackisnewblue black with 2,7 reads.
The plain dealer, for example, audiences even went so far as to confuse the actor in the role of the plain dealer with wycherley himself. The country wife summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. The country wife study guide contains a biography of william wycherly, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The country wife, based on a compilation of molieres the school for husbands 1661, the school for wives 1662, and terences the eunuch 161 bce, is about marriage, infidelity, and male friendship. Harry horner, an infamous womanizer, enlists his doctor to spread the false rumor that horner has become impotent to convince other men to. This lesson will explore william wycherleys the country wife. A summary of the wife of baths tale in geoffrey chaucers the canterbury tales. Poets like cudgeld bullys, never do at first, or second blow, submit to you. The country wife summary from litcharts the creators of. Harry horner, a notorious womanizer, spreads a rumor that he has contracted venereal disease and that. A product of the tolerant early restoration period, the play reflects an. Promo for our production of the country wife by william wycherley.