Literature Analysis Essay on The Country Wife by William Wycherley's

Introduction

Sex and the city the city in the 18th century is well articulated by many stories including The Country Wife by William Wycherley's. Unlike many other stories presented in a comical manner, The Country Wife explores sexual relations in the 18th century as its primary theme. The theme is well presented through the main character Horner, a trickster who sleeps around with married women in the process cuckolding their husbands. The essay thus explores the sexual relations in the 18th century as portrayed in The Country Wife.

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The theme of sexual relation applies throughout the story in a comical style of fashion. The story portrays infidelity and breach of trust through sexual relations. So how does Horner even convince married women to sleep with him? With a hilarious answer, the doctor deserves more credit by declaring Horner impotent that allows the latter to work his love charms to women who eventually give in without having proof of any sexual relations, in this being case pregnancy (Yost,1). What is ridiculous is that Horner's doctor is a fake that assists him in spreading rumors about his impotence.

In the first scene of the play, it is worth noting that Horner and his friend practice the same sex solidarity. In the essence that, the three wits think that male friendship is much more important than chasing women relationship, in what they thought friendship amongst themselves portrayed a true companionship. Horner, however, keeps his relations with women as a secret to his friends, while Harlot most profound connection is with a woman called Alethea (Yost,1). Dorilant the other friend sexual life has a partial presentation in which he appears less concerned with sexual matters. The story, however, exhibits a theme of sexists' bonding as both sexes, i.e. male and female derogate each other. We can note females are going out to parties drink, sing songs and share quality moments such as in the banquet scene. As the same with the males, female only thought they need each other for existence and female friendship was truer, but all came to a haul when they disclosed to each other secrets of having sexual relations with Horner. Even though the story attempted to showcase independence of both males and females, sexual needs and urge had its ways in bringing the two genders together in the 18th century.

In the story, the basis of laughter and comedy lies in the sexual impulse present in human beings and the absurdities that drives people to perform questionable acts. Wycherley views sex as not only essential but as absurd in decisions made in the name of sex. Given the example of Alethea and Harlot mutual attraction, the relationship is a perfect illustration that participants of sex view each other as objects only or means to individual desire (Yost,1). Sex is exhibited as a form of loveless relationship just meant to quench temporary sexual desires. Horner, the charming lover, presents a powerful character in the China scene, as an instrument of sexual pleasure shared among various people.

Majority of men in the short story presume that smart or so-called the women of wit have a high tendency of engaging in infidelity. Men in the 17th century held the notion that women who had less access in education or information were more prone to respect, obey and fear their husbands reducing the chances of them engaging in infidelity. Pinchwife an insecure, paranoid cuckold opts to look for a country wife strongly believing that her ignorance will make her more loyal to him (Yost,1). In the story, he asserts that good wives do not deserve any wit and that private soldiers and good wives should be ignorant. According to Pinchwife, the measure of feminine value is the rate at which a wife attends to his husband needs and preserving total sexual exclusivity to a man. Wycherley attempts to show that in the 17th century, women who were ignorant were presumed to bring value to her husband through fidelity.

On the other hand, literate women were considered as persons who devalue her husband concerning marriage making him a cuckold. Pinchwife gives a representation of insecure men of the 18th century who also in many other articles and short stories were against women empowerment and rise of feminism, to protect their insecurities. Contrary to Pinchwife, Horner however thinks that women who are intelligent with wits tend to be more attractive to a man. Horner considers humor in women as beautiful as their physical beauty that made him more preferable to women. Even so many would argue that Horner sentiments on ignorance on women were means to lure them into sex and his stance on women and ignorance was no different as many men of the 17th century.

The Pinchwife finds himself in trouble to contain his wife as romantic Horner makes advances to his wife, Margery. Horner finds her as an easy target to lure into sex as she was naive and unfamiliar with urban ways. In the restoration era women were seen an object of interest, and in this case, Margery was of importance to Horner. Even though Horner claimed to love Margery genuinely, he goes on to confess that he cannot marry a dumb girl, a woman of no wit and intelligence. The scene only exhibits how men in the restoration period perceived women as objects of sexual interest and desires. It is vivid in Horner actions to Margery that, men cared less on the women character and attribute in the restoration period and more emphasis is driven in the ability of men to own women for their benefits. Pinchwife is considered to have loved Margery due to her naivety that made him more powerful and masculine in exercising control. The only intention of Pinchwife was to protect his ego and not to be made a fool by another person who would take his wife. Even though in the love triangle the prize to be won was Margery, Pinchwife main focus is on his gain and consequences. In the same essence that Harcourt explains to Alithea that her upcoming marriage with Sparkish will not be based on love but interest and generosity. Harcourt purports that marrying a woman is no longer a sign of love but bribing a woman.

Conclusion

The story emphasized that sex was not a means to express love but for their own personal desires. As characters such as Pinchwife and Horner had perceived women as an object of interest and not love, we can conclude that sex in the 18th century was only guided by principals of personal desires. The short story thus exhibits the underlying motif that women were only viewed as objects of use in the restoration period in England.

Works Cited

Yost, Julia. The Country Wife. 30 November 2010. 25 February 2019. <https://www.gradesaver.com/the-country-wife/study-guide/themes>.