A Wife to be Lett, Eliza Haywood’s 1724 comedy follows many separate, yet messily interconnected, romance plots. Haywood presents a virtuous wife, her husband serving as the antagonist who attempts to rent her out to another man. Although this wife seems to cleverly escape this fate, she still ultimately reasserts her dedication and submission to her husband.
Act One:
(Brace yourself you’re about to get introduced to a lot of characters!)
The play opens with Courtly running into his old friend Gaylove, he tells him about his crush on Marilla and lets him in on the situation with her vow on her father’s deathbed to marry Toywell, the fop. He also introduces her cousin Celemena, Mr Fairman’s daughter, who is to be married off to another idiot, Sneaksby.
We then meet Dogood, who is housekeeper to the incredibly rich Widow, unwilling to marry below her station. Shamble, the gold-digger, hatches a plan to pose as a knight to win over the Widow, marrying her for her money.
Next we are introduced to Mrs Graspall (referred to as wife throughout) and Amadea, who is disguised in boy’s clothes. Amadea is warning Mrs Graspall to stay away from Harry Beaumont to protect her virtue. But why is Amadea so bothered about Harry…?
Toywell arrives and is, to put it simply, gross towards Mrs Graspall. He tries to kiss her, and she responds by saying she loathes him, he’s a villain and boxes his ears – as she should. Beaumont tells the audience that Toywell is vain and a fop – safe to say everyone hates Toywell then.
Act Two:
Now we are introduced to the ladies Celemena and Marilla (the one who is supposed to be getting married to Toywell). Marilla complains about how she has no choice but to go ahead with her marriage, whilst Celemena is trying to convince her not to because she loves Courtly. Courtly and Gaylove show up and Celemena immediately expresses an interest Gaylove. Toywell enters, as conceited as ever, with Fairman who is telling his daughter that she must comply in marrying Sneaksby, even though it’s clear everyone else thinks he’s a fool.
We then rejoin the Wife as Beaumont enters, and she tells him she doesn’t want to hear from him again as per Amadea’s advice to save her virtue. Mid Beaumont talking about the spectrum between love and friendship, the wife gets paranoid as she hears someone coming, so tells him to hide in the closet. Toywell, everyone’s least favourite fop, enters talking about his plan to stop Marilla from marrying him and being super inappropriate towards Mrs Graspall (again). She is crying for help and in the struggle, she falls on the closet door and Beaumont gets exposed. She panics about her virtue whilst Beaumont attempts to defend her honour. The act ends with Toywell expressing how he needs a reason to not marry Marilla, because a woman without a fortune is not worth being his wife.
Act Three:
Shamble starts his plan to marry the Widow and break off the match between her nephew (Sneaksby) and Celemena, being certain that Mr Fairman wouldn’t sacrifice his daughter without the certainty of the widow’s land. The Widow is falling for the plan and starts flirting with him.
Mr Graspall lectures his wife about how she is expected obey the commands and interests of her husband (barf) and then reveals he has a letter from Harry for her. He wants to essentially pimp her out to Harry who has paid two thousand pounds to make the deal. He gives her no real choice, even though she is wanting to keep her virtue for his sake.
Mr Graspall leaves and Amadea enters, revealing that she was listening in and also exposes her true identity as not only a woman but Harry’s ex (drama!) and begs the Wife to help save her from eternal ruin and despair – basically she wants her man back. The wife agrees to help and Amadea promises it will also save her own virtue.
Act Four:
Shambles starts manipulating the Widow into marrying him by literally offering to fall on his sword if she doesn’t.
Marilla and Toywell have a fight that results in him declaring he will never be her husband and Marilla is obviously relieved to be freed from that disaster of an arranged marriage. A drunk Sneaksby turns up to fight Toywell for telling Celemena not to mary him.
Mrs Graspall confronts Beaumont, angry that she is being bribed out of her honour and then Amadea enters (not in disguise this time!) and forgives him. The pair subsequently get back together, both agreeing to help the Wife get revenge on her husband.
Act 5:
Mrs Graspall convinces her husband to let her invite people over for dinner.
Celemena attempts to make a deal with Gaylove, telling him that if he finds a way to break the news to her father that she’s not marrying Sneaksby, then maybe she’ll like him. Gaylove isn’t really getting onboard because he wants immediate security that she will be with him, Celemena isn’t happy about this but ultimately weighs up her options and agrees to marry him.
Marilla finally makes the decision to marry Courtly and since Mr Fairman is angry that Sneaksby was a drunk, he won’t let Celemena marry him. Things seem to be working out for the two cousins.
Then the dinner happens – a very eventful meal. The main drama being Beaumont acting as if Amadea (disguised as a man again) has had sex with Mrs Graspall, and exposes her husband for letting his wife out to hire. Mrs Graspall gains the upper hand and forces him to repent. But then she practically immediately forgives him and says she wants to return to being a virtuous wife.
Finally, Graspall exposes Shamble for being a footman and not the rich knight he posed as, everyone laughs, but the Widow is angry at him for being a villain. But she, like the other women, gives in and just hopes he will be a good husband anyway. Fairman gives the okay for Gaylove to marry Celemena, concluding Toywell is the only unhappy man. Which let’s be honest is exactly what he deserves.