In Act V of William WycherleyÆs ôThe Country Wife,ö the conflict between women and men is only partially resolved. Pinchwife and Margery come to a working arrangement for their marriage, which basically entails PinchwifeÆs willingness to deceive himself for the sake of peace in his marriage. Harcourt and AlitheaÆs relationship is also resolved, when Alithea finally acknowledges her love for Harcourt. Despite these resolutions, WycherleyÆs Act V still shows the conflicting and tense nature of relations between men and women, for Horner admits that if a man is to win the love of a woman he must be willing to be hated by his fellow man.
The marriage between Pinchwife and Margery is one fraught with suspicion and infidelity. Pinchwife has married a much younger country girl, hoping she is too nanve to know how to cuckold him. Pinchwife believes his wife has cuckolded him with Horner. In Act V, Pinchwife actually shows he is the one who is too stupid to detect the truth. He does not realize Margery has written a letter in AlitheaÆs name because he thinks she is not clever enough to achieve such an act. He also does not realize it is Margery when she pretends to be Alithea. Pinchwife also accepts the explanation that Horner is impotent, though it is untrue. Pinchwife ultimately admits he is willing to deceive himself to have peace in his marriage, ôFor my own sake fain I wouÆd all believe. Cuckolds like Lovers shouÆd themselves deceiveö (Wycherley 102).
Act V also bring to fulfillment the love story between Harcourt and Alithea. When Alithea is suspected of having an affair with Horner, the foppish Sparkish is only to ready to doubt her virtue. Harcourt, in contrast, truly loves Alithea and he does not doubt that she is virtuous, ôMadam, then have no trouble, you shall now see ætis / possible for me to love too, without being jealous, I will not / only believe your innocence my
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