Signs Symbol Analysis

Signs represent reputation in The Country Wife and symbolize the ways in which the characters use their reputations to advertise things about themselves which they wish to be widely known. When Sparkish first arrives at Horner’s house, he tells Horner a joke which suggests that Horner, whom Sparkish believes to be impotent, is a “sign” of a man and compares him to a literal street sign. Sparkish’s joke means to imply that Horner is a shadow of a man because he is impotent, however, his comment inadvertently hits on a truth about Horner’s persona; he is a man who successfully advertises himself as something he is not, as Horner is not really impotent, despite pretending to be. Sparkish is a foolish character, however, and does not comprehend the real, symbolic truth of what he says.  Later in the play, Margery is fascinated by the different painted signs that hang above the shops in London. All the signs depict horned animals, such as rams, bulls, and stags. Pinchwife compares these signs to the husbands who occupy the street and notes that their “proper signs” would also have horns; he means that they are all “cuckolds” as, in Pinchwife’s mind, all women are unfaithful. This implies that people’s reputations are not always under their own control and that, although someone may wish to be seen in one way, they may not necessarily be able to regulate the way that other people see them or to hide their true nature from society. This idea is personified in Pinchwife who, in his desperation not to become a “cuckold,” drives his wife to be unfaithful and makes himself one.