The seventeenth century libertine king charles ii saw it twice, and is said to have joined the dance of the cuckolds at the end of one performance. Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. Sparkish, engaged to alithea sir jaspar fidget, a noble gentleman mrs. It satirizes the sexual duplicity of the aristocracy during the reign of charles ii. Read the country wife full text and introduction nhb drama classics by william wycherley available from rakuten kobo. William wycherley four plays by william wycherley free ebook. The country wife dover thrift editions kindle edition by. It is, however, on his two last comedies the country wife and the plain dealer that sustain wycherleys reputation. 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. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The resourceful hero of the country wife is horner, the scourge of stupid husbands and the hope of unhappy wives. A product of the tolerant early restoration period, the play reflects an aristocratic and antipuritan ideology, and was controversial for its sexual explicitness even in its own time.
The plain dealer, a powerful dramatic satire loosely based on molieres le misanthrope, continues and enlarges wycherleys assault on greed and corruption. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. The play fits perfectly into greenwalds definition of a comedy of manners. He perhaps succeeded best in the country wife 1675, in which satiric comment on excessive jealousy and complacency was blended with a. Download william wycherley s the country wife for your kindle, tablet, ipad, pc or mobile. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the country wife. The country wife ebook by william wycherley 9781780016801. The country wife 1675 a comedy by wycherley, william 16401716 the persons mr. The country wife is a restoration comedy written in 1675 by william wycherley. The country wife by wycherley william qualified writers. The country wife essays are academic essays for citation. Pdf the country wife by william wycherley download pdf.
To understand what a restoration comedy is, and to appreciate the play. The country wife by wycherley, william 16401716one of the key themes of country wife which come out quite clearly from the script is the failure of the restoration arrangement of the marriages in the society. Harry horner, a notorious womanizer, spreads a rumor that he has contracted venereal disease and that, while being treated for this by a french surgeon, he has accidentally been made impotent. The country wife considered too obscene to be staged in its original form for nearly 200 years, william wycherley s restoration comedy tells the tale of mr horner, a notorious rake, who spreads the false rumour that he is impotent in order to gain access to other mens wives. William wycherley was an english dramatist of the restoration period, best known for the plays the country wife and the plain dealer. This new version of william wycherley s most famous classic, the country wife has been adapted by tanika gupta, one of the country s leading playwrights. Download william wycherleys the country wife for your kindle, tablet, ipad, pc or mobile. Pdf language and honor in the country wife david b morris. The country wife by william wycherley was published in 1675.
Author of plain dealer, the country wife, plays, the gentleman dancingmaster, the country girl, the dramatic works of wycherley, congreve, vanbrugh, and farquhar, the complete plays of william wycherley, the countrywife, 1675. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the country wife dover thrift editions. Although the plot is episodic and portrays multiple sets of lovers, wycherley succeeds in evolving a clear dramatic line. The country wife summary by william wycherley this story is about debauchery, extramarital affairs, and deception. Macaulay, thomas babington macaulay, baron, 18001859. The social perception of innocence in the city versus in the country pinchwife imagines the country as a place of innocence and the city as one of wickedness. The country wife by wycherley, william 16401716 one of the key themes of country wife which come out quite clearly from the script is the failure of the restoration arrangement of the marriages in the society. This lesson will explore william wycherleys the country wife. Harcourt, his acquaintance, enamored of alithea mr.
The title itself contains a lewd pun with regard to the first syllable of country. The country wife is widely considered to be the most studied and revived comedy from the restoration period. Maggie smith and jonathan pryce star in william wycherleys raunchy restoration comedy. The country wife is shown to surpass much restoration comedy in structural and thematic unity by counterpointing the principals attitudes on sex and marriage. The country wife by william wycherley, 9781854592255, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. William wycherley, 16401716 16411716 the countrywife, a comedy, acted at the theatre royal. One of the most notorious restoration comedies in existence, william wycherley s the country wife is a lively and riotous exploration of courtly and city life in the seventeenth century, which was rife with unremitting sexual intrigue and conquest. The country wifewilliam wycherleyfree downloadpdf epub.
The country wife summary by william wycherley english. William wycherley edited with an introduction and notes by w c ward, part of mermaid series includes biography of wycherley, together with the following written in play format love in a wood or st jamess park, the gentleman dancing master, the country wife and the plain dealer. The country wife is a sharp but also highly amusing attack on social and sexual hypocrisy. Librivox recording of the country wife by william wycherley.
The country wife william wycherley download free ebook. Image link often considered the bawdiest of restoration. William wycherley, 16401716 16411716 the country wife, a comedy, acted at the theatre royal. Preliminaries omitted play details the country wife. The country wife dover thrift editions kindle edition by wycherley, william. One of the most notorious restoration comedies in existence, william wycherleys the country wife is a lively and riotous exploration of courtly and city life in the seventeenth century, which was rife with unremitting sexual intrigue and conquest. Against pride and ambition, in the complete works of william wycherley, ed. The country wife themes by william wycherly english summary. Considered too obscene to be staged in its original form for nearly 200 years, william wycherleys bawdy comedy tells the tale of mr horner, a notorious rake who spreads the false rumour that he is impotent in order to gain free access to other mens. Vance, william wycherley and the comedy of fear 2000, 83. Pray, sister, where are the best fields and woods to walk in. Jamess park the gentleman dancingmaster the country wife the plain dealer.
The title is a pun on the first syllable of the word country, implying that his purpose of finding any wife is to use her as an. Pdf the country wife download full pdf book download. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This 45page guide for the country wife by william wycherley includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 5 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. William wycherley download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Horner claims to have extensive knowledge of the china collected by fashionable ladies, and this provides them with an excuse to visit his rooms to discuss china. Read the country wife by william wycherley available from rakuten kobo.
Critics assert that a comedy of manners and the people who inhabit it represent the. The country wife by william wycherly plot summary litcharts. Through a single simple ruse horner helps one woman after another settle accounts with a foolish spouse. The thesis delves into the feminist awareness in william wycherleys the country wife written in 1675. Originally performed and published in 1675, this fiveact play parodies the. Mar 30, 2020 the country wife, comedy of manners in five acts by restoration dramatist william wycherley, performed and published in 1675. The country wife by william wycherley free essay example. It is classified in english literature as a restoration comedy. The country wife by william wycherley, tiffany stern. Click download or read online button to get william wycherley book now. He persuades his doctor, a quack, to spread this story all over town, hoping that gullible men will leave.
Deception in the country wife and the conscious lovers. The country wife by wycherley william, coursework download. Well look at the political and literary context of the play as well as the plot of the play itself. For the basis of his plot, wycherley here borrows heavily from the work of moliere, but. Most of the characters in the story exhibit the vices associated with immoral conduct and debauchery. Originally performed and published in 1675, this fiveact play parodies the vices and hypocrisies of restoration london. The country wife by william wycherley was published in 1675 and premiered the same year at the theatre royal in london. The country wife has provoked powerfully mixed reactions over the years. The country wife, produced in 1672 or 1673 and published in 1675, is full of wit, ingenuity, high spirits and conventional humour. Feminist awareness in the country wife masters thesis. The countrywife, comedy of manners in five acts by restoration dramatist william wycherley, performed and published in 1675. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Married women like margery and lady fidget harbor affection for men.
William wycherley four plays by william wycherley free. William wycherley download the country wife william wycherley ebook. His restorationera comedies are notable for their keen satires of manners and society, and the playwright was a favorite among the wits in the court of charles ii. Buy the country wife nhb drama classics new edition by william wycherley, trevor griffiths isbn. The plain dealer, a powerful dramatic satire loosely based on molieres le misanthrope, continues and enlarges wycherley s assault on greed and corruption. The country wife is particularly famous, or infamous, for the socalled china scene. He perhaps succeeded best in the countrywife 1675, in which satiric comment on excessive jealousy and complacency was blended with a richly comic presentation, the characters. Popular for its lively characters and its double entendres, the bawdy comedy was occasionally vilified for immorality. Author william wycherley 16401715 drew upon sources that included french comedy and shakespearean structure, but the end result was of his own creation. Wycherley left oxford university and took up residence at the inner temple, but gave little attention to the study of law. The country wife ebook by william wycherley rakuten kobo. Listen to country wife audiobook by william wycherley.
Download william wycherleys the country wife for your kindle, tablet, ipad, pc or. The themes of the play are money, love and marriage and sexual intrigue, which enlightens the feminist movement, expresses the awakening of womens sexual consciousness and self. Mar 01, 2010 listen to country wife audiobook by william wycherley. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the country wife by william wycherly. Through a single simple ruse horner helps one woman after another settle accounts with. The country wife william wycherley 1641 1716 one of the most notorious restoration comedies in existence, william wycherleys the country wife is a lively and riotous exploration of courtly and city life in the seventeenth century, which was rife with unremitting sexual intrigue and conquest. Buy the country wife by william wycherley, tiffany stern from waterstones today. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The country wife wikisource, the free online library. A virtuous woman in william wycherleys the country wife, william wycherley enlightens the audience to capture several different ironical statements and questionable behaviors. Jamess park the gentleman dancingmaster the country wife the. The country wife william wycherley 1641 1716 one of the most notorious restoration comedies in existence, william wycherley s the country wife is a lively and riotous exploration of courtly and city life in the seventeenth century, which was rife with unremitting sexual intrigue and conquest.
Well, my dear doctor, hast thou done what i desired. This lesson will explore william wycherley s the country wife. The country wife by william wycherley 962 words 123. Written by william wycherley, audiobook narrated by maggie smith, jonathan pryce, john duttine, john moffatt, harriet walter, michael aldridge.
Mar 30, 2020 william wycherley, english dramatist who attempted to reconcile in his plays a personal conflict between deepseated puritanism and an ardent physical nature. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. A quack is as fit for a pimp, as a midwife for a bawd. After he wrote the play, the gentleman master, 1672, it was panned by critics, so in the prologue to his most famous play, the country wife, 1676, he offered the actors, mistresses and matrons to the critics in case this was equally badly received.