Hello and welcome to the Discourse. William Wycherly was an English dramatist of the restoration period. He was born on April 8, 1641, and died in the year 1716. Like George Etherege, he was influenced by French writers and admired Moliere’s comedies of mannerism. During his visit to France, he chose to accept Catholicism. After returning to London, he again was influenced and returned to the Protestant fold only to become a Catholic again as he got favors and patronage of James II, the Duke of York who later became the King. He was known for his straightforward attitude that acquired him the nickname Manly Wycherly which might have been based upon his main character Captain Manly from one of his plays titled The Plain Dealer. Wycherly joined the Inner Temple to learn law but soon realized that his only interest is a pleasure and the stage. He left his studies and decided to be a playwright. His chosen subject was societal hypocrisy that he expressed through the means of comedy of manners. His first drama Love in a Wood was first performed in 1671. He came up with his second comedy in the same year which was titled The Gentleman Dancing Master. After that, he chose to go on sea journeys. Later on, he joined the army and fought during the Third Anglo-Dutch War as he was commissioned "Captain-Lieutenant" in the company of the Duke of Buckingham's regiment. Meanwhile, he continued producing comedies every now and then. However, he gained the most fame with the last of his two comedy plays which were titled The Country Wife which was performed in 1673 and was published in 1675, and The Plain Dealer, which was performed in 1675. Wycherly is attributed to the word nincompoop which means a foolish person, as he used the word in The Plain Dealer for the first time. He is also the first person to use the phrase ‘Happy-Go-Lucky.’
The Country Wife
The Country Wife is a comedy of manners that reflects an anti-Puritan ideology. It was produced and performed during the period when Puritanism was being backlashed while British society was becoming more tolerant. The play shows Moliere’s influence on Wycherly as it is based on some very famous French comedies by Moliere. Wycherly mastered the subject and added certain features to suit the British audience and that made it a huge success. Wycherly uses colloquial prose dialogues in his play along with some explicit sexual innuendos and many sexual jokes. The play deals with two main plots while a third plot continues to grow in between. The first plot of the play is that of a rake whose only aim is to sleep with as many women as he could. To achieve this, he uses the impotency trick. He pretends he is impotent so that he may safely have secret relationships with married women as their men won’t doubt him. The other plot is about an inexperienced country girl who is married to a middle-aged gentleman in London. Her husband believes that since she is from a village, city life won't affect her and she will remain loyal to her. However, the country wife is too enthusiastic about city life and especially the sophisticated, fascinating, and virile men of London. The third plot involves a love story.
Harry Homer is an upper-class rake who decides to pretend to be impotent so that he may get closeness to married women. He spreads a rumor that during his visit to France, he contracted an illness while dealing with a common woman and the only cure that the physician suggested was to surgically reduce the size of his manly organ. Now, when he is impotent and unable, he is no threat to any man’s wife. This impotency trickery is based on the classical Roman comedy Eunuchus by Terence. Wycherly uses this plot to satirize the hypocritical upper-class women who are immoral at heart and willing to mingle with others at the back of their husbands. The trick not only helps Homer to safely seduce as many reputed rich ladies seduce as he could while cuckolding their husbands but also, helps him to target the women as the married women who are looking for an extramarital affair will be disgusted by an impotent. He uses this trick to recognize the women who are interested in an extra-marital affair and then he would trap them. Homer gains success with his plan as he succeeds in sleeping with many high-class aristocratic women. Three such women who make an entry on the stage are Lady Fidget, her sister-in-law Mrs. Dainty Fidget, and her friend, Lady Squeamish. One other conquest of Homer is Margery, the young country wife of Mr. Pinchwife. The story of Pinchwife and Margery is based on Moliere’s two plays titled The School for Husbands, and The School for Wives. Pinchwife knowingly marries a young unsophisticated girl Margery from a village in hope that being innocent, she will remain loyal to him. However, Margery is full of life and curiosity. She is enthusiastic about city life and sophisticated London men. And whom she meets in closeness is Homer. Pinchwife couldn’t doubt Homer as he is known as impotent. Homer teaches Margery and she quickly learns everything about the issues and fun of upper-class married life and seduction. In Moliere’s drama (The School for Wives), the innocent character Agnes is naturally virtuous and pure and hence she denounces any extramarital affair. On the other hand, Wycherly’s Margery decides to take the opportunity in both her hands. Pinchwife is an insecure and jealous man who funnily continues to offer the same knowledge to Margery that he wishes she shouldn’t know. The third story involves Harry Homer’s friend Harcourt who is in love with Pinchwife’s younger sister Alithea. Alithea belongs to an upper-class aristocratic family in London, yet, she is virtuous, honest, and pertinent. Pinchwife engages her with Sparkish who is a shallow fop and continues to show his foolishness. However, despite his stupid and cynical behavior, Alithea, being a virtuous girl respects her engagement with him and remains loyal. Harcourt continues to pursue Alithea in vain. As Homer is in contact with Margery and is cuckolding Pinchwife, he has easy access to Alithea’s home. Situations turn in such a manner that Alitheia while being virtuous and loyal is found by Sparkish and Harcourt in a misleadingly compromising situation. Alithea vows her sanctity and virginity but Sparkish denounces her as he couldn’t trust her. On the other hand, Harcourt has no doubt about Alithea. This leads Alithea to accept Harcourt’s love. Meanwhile, Homer faces the situation of being caught for his false trick of being impotent as when Sparkish accuses Alithea, Pinchwife claims that he is impotent. To this, Margery, known for her frankness feels sad. She personally knows that Homer is not impotent but a better man than Pinchwife. As she decides to counter Pinchwife and tell the truth about Homer, homer saves himself with the help of his other lovers. Pinchwife, who is jealous of Homer’s closeness with so many beautiful women, tends to believe that he is impotent and his wife is innocent. The play ends with the happy ending of Alithea’s re-engagement with Harcourt.
The Plain Dealer
The Plain Dealer was another comedy of manners that won praise for Wycherly. It was again based on one of the very famous plays of Moliere titled Le Misanthrope. Wycherly also used the Shakespearean plot of The Twelfth Night, turning a girl into a male pageboy. Captain Manly is the protagonist who is a misanthrope and doesn’t like other people. He doesn’t trust anyone except his friend named Vernish and Olivia, the girl he loves too much. However, while Olivia responds to his love with love, she gradually finds Vernish more attractive. She ditches Captain Manly and marries Vernish. Captain Manly feels cheated and wishes to take revenge on Vernish and Olivia. He takes the help of one of his pageboys who has earned his trust to go to Vernish and Olivia. He advises the pageboy how to seduce Olivia and thus, break her marriage with Vernish. However, the pageboy is no boy, he in reality is a beautiful girl who desperately loves Captain Manly and chose to disguise herself as a boy to be close to him. In the end, Captain Manly forgives Vernish and Olivia and marries the girl who became a pageboy for her.
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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