The Country Wife

The Country Wife is a play written by William Wycherley in 1675, which was later altered in 1777. The play is a comedy that satirizes the society of the Restoration Era, particularly their views on love, marriage, infidelity, and social status. The story revolves around a young and naive country gentleman, Horner, who pretends to be impotent to gain access to the women of London's high society. He sets his sights on the married Lady Fidget, who is unhappy in her marriage, and her friend, the virtuous Alithea, who is engaged to the jealous and possessive Pinchwife. Horner's schemes lead to a series of misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and comical situations, as the characters navigate their desires and societal expectations. The play is known for its witty dialogue, bawdy humor, and sharp commentary on the hypocrisies of the upper class. The altered version of the play, published in 1777, toned down some of the more explicit content and changed some of the characters' names. The Country Wife remains a classic of Restoration comedy and a significant work in English literature.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.