The Provok'd Wife (or The Provoked Wife) is a play written by John Vanbrugh. First released in 1697, it tells of an unhappy marriage.
Characters[]
- Lady Mary (?) Brute
- Sir John Brute - the abusive and atheistical husband of Lady Brute.
- Heartfree - friend of Sir John Brute.
- Lady Fancyfull
- Constant - friend of Sir John Brute.
- Bellinda - the nephew of Lady Brute.
- Mademoiselle - friend of Lady Fancyfull, speaks with broken English and occasionally in French.
- Rasor - a servant of Sir John and
- Lord Rake
- Colonel Bully
- Mr. Treble
- Pipe
- Cornet
rest to be added
Publisher's summary[]
In this late Restoration comedy Vanbrugh not only pushes the unhappily married couple, which had been good for no more than a raucous subplot in earlier comedies of manners, centre-stage - he also makes the audience sympathise with the wife: The only thing Sir John and Lady Brute agree on is that they ought not to have married each other; now he spends his time in drunken debauchery with his cronies, while she tries to withstand the advances of her admirer Constant. After a series of farcical accidents involving cross-dressing and the eternal lover-in-the-wardrobe, the couple end where they began. Since the scene in which Sir John disguises as a clergyman was deemed 'immoral and profane', an alternative scene (in its way equally profane) was written, in which he disguises as his own wife. This edition provides both versions and discusses the play's continuing popularity on the stage.
Plot[]
Act I[]
After a brief argument with her husband, Lady Brute meets with her nephew Bellinda. During these talks, it is revealed that Lady Brute is in love with Sir John's friend Constant and is in denial of it.
Meanwhile, in her dressing room, Lady Fancyfull meets with several friends and talks with them. She shooes one of them (Cornet) out of the room and hears music from a man named Pipe which she enjoys. She then briefly argues with another one of her friends (Mademoiselle).
Act II[]
In St. James' Park, Lady Fancyfull meets with a man named Heartfree. Their meeting soon turns into an argument and the two separate. Heartfree then meets with Constant and they begin talking about Lady Fancyfull (with Heartfree still bitter about the woman). Sir John then arrives and the discussion swings towards Sir John's wife.
Meanwhile, Lady Fancyfull meets with Pipe once again and hears another new song. After hearing the song, Fancyfull and Mademoiselle talk about Heartfree.
Act III[]
During dinner and while waiting for Heartfree and Constant arrive, Sir John smokes tobacco. This disgusts his wife and niece-in-law, who begin teasing him about this habit. Enraged, Sir John attacks them right before his two friends arrive. Sir John leaves while Heartfree and Constant sit down for dinner. Lady Fancyfull then arrives and talks with Heartfree while Lady Brute talks with Constant.
Later that night, Sir John gets drunk with his friends Lord Rake and Colonel Bully. While drinking, Lord Rake sings an "immoral" song that amuses Sir John greatly. While leaving, Sir John and Colonel Bully get into a brief argument.
Meanwhile, Lady Brute and Bellinda talk in Lady Brute's bedchamber while waiting for Sir John to return home.
Act IV[]
In the bedchamber of Heartfree, he and Constant talk. During this talk, Heartfree accidentally reveals that he is in love with Bellinda.
While drunk, Lord John comes across the tailor of a clergyman and steals his outfit. He then attacks people in an attempt to besmirch the Church. He is arrested but his ploy backfires, as the local court sweeps the matter under the rug to preserve the image of the Church.
Meanwhile, Heartfree and Coupler - followed by Miss Fancyfull and Mademoiselle in masques - meet with Lady Brute and Bellinda in a park. They are found by the recently-released Sir John, who in his drunken state thinks that his wife and niece-in-law are common street whores. He is shooed away, and Lady Brute and Coupler (along with Heartfree and Bellinda) talk in private.
Act V[]
Later that day, the four return home. Hearing Sir John arriving, Lady Brute has Heartfree and Constant hide in her closet. Sir John then arrives home and threateningly "plays" with his wife before opening the closet to find some tea and instead finding his two friends hiding in it. In his drunken state, he falls asleep before he can do anything about it. Lady Brute plans to explain the two men in the closet by having Bellinda married off to Heartfree. During this, they are watched by a servant of Sir John's named Rasor.
Instead of telling his master that he is being cuckolded, Rasor reports to Mademoiselle (with whom he is "friendly" with) and Lady Fancyfull about this planned marriage. Lady Fancyfull vows to break up the marriage before it happens.
At dinner, Lady Brute reveals the marriage but they are interrupted by Lady Fancyfull, who talks with Bellinda about Heartfree being married to her. Though Bellinda and Heartfree briefly argue, they are interrupted by Rasor revealing that he has been "charmed" by Lady Fancyfull (who he compares to Satan). After this, instead of being angry, everyone (even Sir John) giggles uncomfortably.
Notes[]
- In later stagings and editions of The Provok'd Wife swap Sir John dressing in mock-Church clothes for Sir John crossdressing in his wife's clothes. Also printed in some editions is an epilogue given by Bellinda and Lady Brute.
Sources[]
- Wikipedia
- Goodreads