Does Love Exist in Marriage?: an Analysis of Love in the Country Wife
Does Love Exist in Marriage?: An Analysis of Love in The Country Wife
The Country Wife by William Wycherley is a comedy full of naughty laughs, and an elaborate game between men that illustrates several themes concerning men, and women. Throughout Wycherley’s play, he clearly shows the contrasts between the single life and married life in London during the 1670’s. Eventually, going as far as having the audience undoubtedly believing that love does not exist in marriage, shown specifically within the play, when Margery Pinchwife writes in her attempt at a second letter to Horner “I have got the London disease they call love; I am sick of my husband and for my gallant” (Wycherley 2266). Despite this, Wycherley gives his audience hope that love can exist in marriage through the courtship of Harcourt, and Alithea. Wycherley assigns Harcourt as the true romantic in the play, whose relationship with Alithea by the end of the play resembles the perfect relationship/marriage. He further makes Harcourt, as a lover, and Harcourt and Alithea’s relationship evident by putting their relationship alongside Horner’s relationship towards all women overall, and Pinchwife and his marriage. From the start of the play Wycherley makes it obvious that the male characters have their own beliefs on love and women. For instance, in Act I scene 1, the conversation between Horner, Dorilant, and Harcourt display Harcourt’s and Horner’s slightly different beliefs on love, and women at the beginning of the play. In the following quote, Horner makes statements on how love makes you dull, and restrained. “Wine gives you liberty, love takes it away” and “Wine gives you joy; love, grief and tortures, besides the chirurgeon’s. Wine makes us witty; love only sots. Wine makes us sleep; love breaks it” (Wycherley 2220). Horner uses wine as a metaphor for the single life and therefore most likely love could also represent marriage. This quote demonstrates clearly that he believes that
The Country Wife by William Wycherley is a comedy full of naughty laughs, and an elaborate game between men that illustrates several themes concerning men, and women. Throughout Wycherley’s play, he clearly shows the contrasts between the single life and married life in London during the 1670’s. Eventually, going as far as having the audience undoubtedly believing that love does not exist in marriage, shown specifically within the play, when Margery Pinchwife writes in her attempt at a second letter to Horner “I have got the London disease they call love; I am sick of my husband and for my gallant” (Wycherley 2266). Despite this, Wycherley gives his audience hope that love can exist in marriage through the courtship of Harcourt, and Alithea. Wycherley assigns Harcourt as the true romantic in the play, whose relationship with Alithea by the end of the play resembles the perfect relationship/marriage. He further makes Harcourt, as a lover, and Harcourt and Alithea’s relationship evident by putting their relationship alongside Horner’s relationship towards all women overall, and Pinchwife and his marriage. From the start of the play Wycherley makes it obvious that the male characters have their own beliefs on love and women. For instance, in Act I scene 1, the conversation between Horner, Dorilant, and Harcourt display Harcourt’s and Horner’s slightly different beliefs on love, and women at the beginning of the play. In the following quote, Horner makes statements on how love makes you dull, and restrained. “Wine gives you liberty, love takes it away” and “Wine gives you joy; love, grief and tortures, besides the chirurgeon’s. Wine makes us witty; love only sots. Wine makes us sleep; love breaks it” (Wycherley 2220). Horner uses wine as a metaphor for the single life and therefore most likely love could also represent marriage. This quote demonstrates clearly that he believes that
Cited: Damrosch, David. The Country Wife. 1675. The Longman Anthology of British Literature. 4th ed. Vol. 1c. New York: Longman, 2010. 2215-283. Print. The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century.