La moglie di campagna

The Country Wife, one of the wittiest plays of the Restoration, belongs to the genre of the comedy of manners, staging a cynical and immoral society. Possibly a realistic portrait of the contemporary London world, it shows a well constructed series of deceits, disguises and frauds, which only the main character, the wit, can control through humour, libertinism, and a smart use of words. Though different plots are interwoven, the main opposition is between the artificiality of society and the naiveté of “nature”. Deceit arises from the ambiguities of gesture and language, consciously used as weapons against dupes and enemies. A perfect theatrical device, the comedy is essentially based on bright and witty conversation. The volume contains the Italian translation of Wycherley’s play, edited with footnotes, biographical and bibliographical notes and an introduction.