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Three Hours after Marriage
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.
91 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2011
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About the author
Alexander Pope
2,250 books692 followersPeople best remember
The Rape of the Lock
(1712) and
The Dunciad
(1728), satirical mock-epic poems of English writer Alexander Pope.
Ariel, a sylph, guards the heroine of The Rape of the Lock of Alexander Pope.
People generally regard Pope as the greatest of the 18th century and know his verse and his translation of Homer. After William Shakespeare and Alfred Tennyson, he ranks as third most frequently quoted in the language. Pope mastered the heroic couplet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexand...
Ariel, a sylph, guards the heroine of The Rape of the Lock of Alexander Pope.
People generally regard Pope as the greatest of the 18th century and know his verse and his translation of Homer. After William Shakespeare and Alfred Tennyson, he ranks as third most frequently quoted in the language. Pope mastered the heroic couplet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexand...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 1, 2019
Absolutely bonkers but really good fun and a masterclass in the comedic use of language.
June 11, 2017
When originally produced in England in 1717 Three Hours after Marriage was something of a record breaking hit. Because it pushed a number of delicate topics such as cuckoldry and female wantonness it was critically reviewed as obscene and disappeared from play lists for 200 Years. The play was collaboration between Alexander Pope, John Grey and John Arbuthnot. However disagreement between the authors and the acting company would have Pope removing his name from association with the play.
The play open shortly after the marriage of aptly named Dr. Fosseli , an elderly physician and scientist and his too young of a bride, Mrs. Townley. They should be headed to the marriage bed, instead they decide to keep their marriage a secret, thereby avoiding problems with the bride's family and delaying the fact that the old man realizes he is too old for a traditional wedding night. For the rest of the play Ms. Townley is the "bride, but not yet a wife."
With the lady, this is indeed acting . Among others she has two ardent would be lovers, Mr. Plotwell and Mr. Underplot. The doctor routinely intercepts love letters between the loves and not quite a wife, even catching the men as they close their competing suits for the new bride favors. The new bride is just as clever at dissuading her husband that these men are any threat to the purity of the marriage bed even as she encourages them both. Ultimately she offers to honor them both as she has promised, once they decide who has won her.
And so we have some of the stock figures bedroom farce: The old and foolish husband, the smarter and willing wife, and ardent lovers. Performers are likewise backed by the usual props, intercepted letters and disguises. Most notably when the two would be lovers appear in a shared scene disguised as a Mummy and a Crocodile.
With so much of the basic plot using mostly stock characters and situation, what makes this a fun read is the quality of the interchanges among the characters. Double entendre are frequent as are several scenes of broad physical comedy. A subplot involves an acting company, and with them a `critick' Mr. Tremendous. He will engage in a humorous exchange with the poet who writes for the acting company and helps to start the fun.
Three Hours after Marriage is mostly a light read. It is surprisingly close to the edge of proper even for a modern audience. This is not to say that is has crude language or obvious displays of lewdness, but the story line is perhaps too sophisticated for the young. Naughty as a major on stage device is not as new as some would like to think. This play stands as proof. The ending is that old man groom and too young bride mostly get what they want. But the ending is not the one either they or us would have predicted.
The play open shortly after the marriage of aptly named Dr. Fosseli , an elderly physician and scientist and his too young of a bride, Mrs. Townley. They should be headed to the marriage bed, instead they decide to keep their marriage a secret, thereby avoiding problems with the bride's family and delaying the fact that the old man realizes he is too old for a traditional wedding night. For the rest of the play Ms. Townley is the "bride, but not yet a wife."
With the lady, this is indeed acting . Among others she has two ardent would be lovers, Mr. Plotwell and Mr. Underplot. The doctor routinely intercepts love letters between the loves and not quite a wife, even catching the men as they close their competing suits for the new bride favors. The new bride is just as clever at dissuading her husband that these men are any threat to the purity of the marriage bed even as she encourages them both. Ultimately she offers to honor them both as she has promised, once they decide who has won her.
And so we have some of the stock figures bedroom farce: The old and foolish husband, the smarter and willing wife, and ardent lovers. Performers are likewise backed by the usual props, intercepted letters and disguises. Most notably when the two would be lovers appear in a shared scene disguised as a Mummy and a Crocodile.
With so much of the basic plot using mostly stock characters and situation, what makes this a fun read is the quality of the interchanges among the characters. Double entendre are frequent as are several scenes of broad physical comedy. A subplot involves an acting company, and with them a `critick' Mr. Tremendous. He will engage in a humorous exchange with the poet who writes for the acting company and helps to start the fun.
Three Hours after Marriage is mostly a light read. It is surprisingly close to the edge of proper even for a modern audience. This is not to say that is has crude language or obvious displays of lewdness, but the story line is perhaps too sophisticated for the young. Naughty as a major on stage device is not as new as some would like to think. This play stands as proof. The ending is that old man groom and too young bride mostly get what they want. But the ending is not the one either they or us would have predicted.
April 10, 2024
I’m afraid I’ve become one of those awful people that laughs out loud whilst reading early modern theatre scripts - but by Jove it was funny!
Some very interesting bits about the the intersection of science, satire and the Royal Society if you want to delve into it, but really stands up on its own as a bloody good farce!
Some very interesting bits about the the intersection of science, satire and the Royal Society if you want to delve into it, but really stands up on its own as a bloody good farce!
February 11, 2022
"Much joy to the learned Dr. Fossile. To have a mummy, an alligator, and a wife, all in one day, is too great a happiness for mortal man!"
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews