American Poetry

"The Country Wife" is a Restoration comedy written by the English playwright William Wycherley. It was first performed in 1675 and is considered one of the greatest comedies of the English Restoration period. The play satirizes the manners and morals of the aristocracy of the time, particularly focusing on themes of marriage, infidelity, and social hypocrisy. The plot revolves around the character of Horner, a notorious womanizer who feigns impotence in order to gain access to married women without arousing suspicion from their husbands.
Meanwhile, the naïve country wife of the title, Margery Pinchwife, becomes entangled in a web of deceit and desire as she navigates the complexities of London society.