Here Comes the Scriblerian Flood: Apocalypse, Betrayal, and Mock-Redemption in "Three Hours after Marriage"

The essay examines the interplay of apocalyptic imagery, societal critique, and the potential for redemption in the farcical play *Three Hours after Marriage* by John Gay, Alexander Pope, and John Arbuthnot. It situates the play within the Scriblerian tradition, which often employed the Biblical Flood as a metaphor for cultural and moral decline in 18th-century England. Drawing on contemporary geological theories, such as those of Thomas Burnet and John Woodward, the essay argues that the play reflects a world on the brink of collapse, where scientific pretensions and antiquarianism are satirized through the figure of Dr. Fossile, an ineffectual collector and physician. Central to the analysis is the theme of mutual deception and betrayal among the characters, whose self-serving actions lead to the unraveling of societal and personal relationships. The essay explores the ways in which the play parodies scientific and literary ambition, notably through Fossile and the poet Phoebe Clinket, whose sterile creativity symbolizes the failure of art and scholarship to regenerate a crumbling world. The essay concludes with an exploration of the play’s ambiguous ending, where Fossile's adoption of a child—despite not being its biological father—suggests a potential for mock-redemption. This act, while hinting at the survival of life amidst chaos, remains unresolved, reflecting the play's overarching critique of a world mired in moral and intellectual sterility. The essay ultimately positions *Three Hours after Marriage* as a satirical exploration of false learning, unfulfilled desires, and the uncertain possibility of renewal in a decadent society.