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Act 5, Scene 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Country Wife, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Reputation, Appearance, and Hypocrisy
Love, Marriage, and Misogyny
Theatre, Puritanism, and Forbidden Desire
Town vs. Country
Summary
Analysis
The Epilogue is “spoke by Mrs. Knepp.” In her speech, she ridicules unsuccessful lady’s men. She despises the ones who lead women on but will not follow through once they seduce them, and older men who flirt with younger women and try to impress them with riches, while the young women just laugh at them and take advantage. She disdains men who simply wish to show off and use wealth and appearances to substitute for real vigor. She warns these men, who may be tempted to imitate Horner, that, although other men might be fooled by the appearance of great prowess, women never will be.
Mrs. Knepp was a famous, Restoration actress whom the part of Lady Fidget was written for. The epilogue suggests that, although men may be able to convince other men that they are impressive, with shows of wealth, power, or by keeping company with young women, women are only impressed by men who can genuinely satisfy them as lovers.
Themes
