Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Provoked Wife was the second and the last completed play was written by John Vanbrugh that was first staged in 1697. Like his first play The Relapse, Or Virtue in Danger, John Vanbrugh raised the same issue of wedlock turning into a deadlock because of the husband’s promiscuity and the wife’s virtuous behavior. However, again he offers an insight into how a wife may also take the same course of promiscuity if she decides she also attains many venues to cheat. The premise of the plot, that a wife trapped in an abusive marriage might consider either leaving it or taking a lover, outraged some prominent sections of English society of the Restoration age. Yet, the play proved to be a huge success. It is a restoration comedy, however, the lead character Misses Brute may appear to be a tragic heroine.
Characters: Sir John Brute is a promiscuous rake who sets his eyes on a voluptuous beautiful Lady Brute. Lady Brute was a virtuous girl belonging to a poor family. They engage in a haste marriage, she for money, and he for sex. However, after some months, John Brute is again attracted to his rakish behavior and finds himself trapped in an unwanted marriage. Lady Brute is also provoked by her husband’s infidelity but she is bound by her goodness and virtues. Yet, she meets a gentleman named Constant and finds herself deeply attracted to him. Constant also desires Lady Brute but he respects her virtuous attitude and loyalty toward her husband. He continues to meet her and they flirt with each other while Lady Brute continues to protect her virtuous self. Belinda is Lady Brute’s niece who realizes that she is in love with Constant. She knows how brutish and rude her uncle is towards her aunt. She supports Lady Brute’s relationship with Constant. Constant, on the other hand, is very respectful towards Lady Brute and remains ready to protect her dignity in all situations. His friend Heartfree is in love with Belinda and wishes to marry her but he has to ask Sir John Brutes permission for her hand in marriage. Lady Fanciful is a preposterous neighbor of Lady Brute. She is a female version of Lord Foppington. She is enamored by Heartfree and wants to marry her and thus, is jealous of Belinda and Lady Brute.
Summary of the Provoked Wife:
The play is divided into 5 acts. The play starts with a soliloquy by John Brute who expresses how bored he is with being married. Soon Lady Brute appears and asks an innocuous question to which Brute, being rude starts his surly angry replies and leaves home. Lady Brute then offers her soliloquy asking what wrong did she do to suffer such indignities and inhuman behavior by her husband. She admits that others had warned her about Sir John Brute but she married him because of his money as she was poor and believed that she could change him. Belinda enters home and understands what might have happened. She says how rude a husband John Brute is. She reminds Lady Brute that he is an infidel too and continues to go to brothels. Belinda says that she knows her aunt has a soft corner for Constant and starts praising how good a gentleman Constant is. Lady Brute stops her and preaches to her about how women ought to resist the temptation to flirt and coquette outside their marriages. Then the two women start discussing Lady Fanciful, the annoying neighbor.
Lady Fanciful is a popular figure with many admirers but her eyes are set on a particular gentleman named Heartfree who hardly recognizes her love. She gets a letter from Heartfree who is known to be a women hater. In the letter, Heartfree rejects her love for him and says that she’s a damn attractive woman but has made herself so prettified and pretentious that she has become a figure of fun. Lady Fanciful cries how rude Heartfree is, yet finds him more desirable than he ever was.
Heartfree and Constant visit Sir John Brute’s house to meet him. Heartfree is a close friend of Constant who is sad. When Sir John Brute meets them, he asks why is he sad, is it because of a woman? This is true because Constant is said for Lady Brute whom he loves from the heart despite her being married to Sir John. Sir John is unaware of this. At the same time, Lord Rake and Colonel Bully arrive at Brute’s house and ask him to accompany them to the brothel. John Brute goes out with them while telling Heartfree and Constant to stay until he returns. This offers Constant a chance to express his feelings for Lady Brute as she enters with Belinda. Lady Fanciful arrives and interrupts Constant before he could say anything and complains about how rudely Heartfree addressed her in his letter to her. Belinda realizes that Lady fanciful is in love with Heartfree and starts flirting with him to tease her. Heartfree realizes that Constant will have no chance to express his love to Lady Brute, so he takes him away.
Lady Brute and Belinda are alone again as they talk. Lady Brute confesses that she feels weak for Constant but isn’t willing to go the immoral away alone. She asks if Belinda is interested in Heartfree, and Belinda says that she might be but Heartfree isn’t that interested in her.
Meanwhile, Sir John Brute, Lord Rake, and Colonel Bully are heavily drunk. They attack a tailor parring by them and rob the clothes he was taking to deliver. It is a woman’s dress, a lady gown that he made for Lady Brute. John Brute doesn’t know anything about that dress but in his drunken state, he finds it attractive and wears it himself. Lord Rake and Colonel Jovial jokingly call him the Amazon and John brute says that he is Boudica, a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe who fought against Romans. As they go forward, they meet a constable and a watch. Under the effect of alcohol, Sir John Brute announces that they are ‘the enemy’ of the Romans, and as he is Boudica, he attacks them with his club. The Watch subdues him and arrests him while Lord Rake and Colonel Bully run away. The constable takes Sir John Brute to the magistrate. When the magistrate asks him why is he wearing a lady’s gown? He answers that he is Boudica, the queen of Britain. The Magistrate says that you are heavily drunk and asks again how he got that feminine dress. Sir John brute answers that he is Lady Brute and this is her own dress. Sir John gives the impression of a rebellious, fearless, drunken, lawless wife. The magistrate feels sorry for his drunken state and lets him go free.
Meanwhile, Heartfree is still thinking of how Belinda flirted with her. He is deeply impressed by her and admits to Constant that he is in love with her. Soon their servant brings a letter from some anonymous admirers. As Constant reads the letter, he informs Heartfree that they have invited them to a rendezvous in Spring Walk that evening at 8pm. Heartfree doesn’t want to go as he is too lovesick but Constant takes him anyways. At Spring Walk, they meet two voluptuous young women wearing masks so they may not recognize them. They start talking without knowing that Lady Fanciful and her french servant have been stalking Heartfree and Constant. At the same time, Sir John Brute also arrives at the same spot and as he sees Constant and Heartfree, he hugs them as their friend and grabs both the women, assuming they are their whores. Lady Rude runs towards Constant and shows her face to him. Constant saves her from John Brute. John Brute tries to grab another girl. She runs to Heartfree and shows him her face. Heartfree saves her from John Brute. Meanwhile, Lady Fanciful and her servant hide in an arbor out of fear.
Constant and Heartfree send John Brute away and then Heartfree openly confesses his love for Belinda and takes him away for a stroll. As Constant and Lady Brute are alone, he admits his love for her. Lady Brute also confesses that she also loves him but states that she holds her virtue high and her loyalty to her husband is supreme. She says that even Constant loves her only for her virtues and if she lowers herself from her loyalty to her husband, will he still love her? Constant agrees but fails to control himself and starts kissing her and dragging her to the arbor where Lady Fanciful is hiding. As she realizes that someone is coming there, she gets out with her servant and runs away. Lady Brute gets frightened about being seen by someone while Constant was kissing her. She worries her reputation will be ruined. However, she saves her virtue. Heartfree and Belinda returns and the four decide to come back to Lady Brute’s house. As they are playing some card game at home, Lady brute’s servant informs them that Sir John Brute is returning home. As he returns, he tries to rape Lady Brute while Constant and Heartfree are hidden in a closet. Observing his rude behavior, Constant jumps out and faces John Brute. He challenges him to a duel or to leave Lady Brute alone. Sir John Brute confesses that though married, he never loved Lady Brute and accepts defeat. Heartfree then asks for Belinda’s hand in marriage to which John Brute agrees. At the end of the play, Heartfree Marries Belinda while Lady Brute remains in the deadlock of wedlock. Constant continues to pay court to Lady Brute, and she continues to try to maintain her virtue.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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