Epicoene

In Short

Set in London, this comedic play follows the wealthy, noise-averse Morose, who decides to get married solely to strip his nephew, Dauphine, of his inheritance. Morose selects Epicoene, a young woman renowned for her absolute silence. However, immediately after the wedding ceremony, she reveals a loud, domineering personality and welcomes a rowdy crowd into the house. As Morose frantically seeks a way out of the marriage, Dauphine reveals that he orchestrated the entire scheme, exposing the true identity of the bride and securing his inheritance.

The Story

Morose, an elderly man who cannot endure any sound louder than a whisper, lives in a secluded house that he has tried to make completely soundproof. Furious with his nephew, Sir Dauphine Eugenie, Morose decides to marry and produce an heir, which would legally cut Dauphine off from his fortune. To preserve his peaceful lifestyle, Morose demands a bride who barely speaks. Through his barber, Cutbeard, he is introduced to Epicoene, a gentle, extremely quiet woman who seems to fit his requirements perfectly.

Unbeknownst to Morose, the entire arrangement is a elaborate plot engineered by Dauphine, alongside his witty companions Clerimont and Truewit. While Truewit initially tries to talk Morose out of marrying by describing the horrors of wedlock, the wedding moves forward. Immediately after the vows are taken, Epicoene drops her quiet facade. She abruptly begins talking at full volume, scolding Morose for his rude behavior toward the minister, and declaring her intent to rule the household with total authority.

To worsen Morose's distress, Truewit and Clerimont direct a parade of unwanted guests to the house to celebrate the newly formed union. The intruders include Captain Tom Otter and his domineering wife, the pretentious foolish knights Sir Amorous La-Foole and Sir John Daw, and a noisy group of fashionable society women known as the Ladies Collegiates. The party transforms Morose’s quiet sanctuary into a scene of utter bedlam.

Desperate to escape his new wife's endless chatter and the uninvited crowd, Morose begs for help to secure a divorce. Dauphine and his friends exploit the situation by introducing a fake divine and a fake canon lawyer—who are actually Captain Otter and Cutbeard in elaborate disguise. The disguised pair subject Morose to an agonizing, excessively loud debate on canon law and potential legal grounds for annulment, none of which seem to offer him a quick solution. Adding to the chaos, Sir John Daw and Sir Amorous La-Foole both foolishly claim to have been intimate with Epicoene prior to the marriage, yet the fake lawyers declare that even this does not provide immediate relief.

Seeing his uncle in absolute despair, Dauphine offers to solve the problem completely and permanently, on the condition that Morose signs over his estate and grants him an immediate allowance. Driven to his absolute limit by the noise, Morose agrees to every demand and signs the contract. Once the document is safely sealed, Dauphine steps forward and pulls off Epicoene's wig and attire, revealing that the "silent woman" is actually a boy he trained for the trick. With the marriage rendered completely void, Morose retreats in defeat, and Dauphine claims his fortune.

How It Unfolds

The conspiracy takes shape Clerimont and Truewit discuss local gossip and the foolish pretenders of London society, while Dauphine arranges for the barber Cutbeard to present the quiet Epicoene to his noise-hating uncle, Morose.

The silent bride appears Morose meets Epicoene, tests her willingness to remain soft-spoken, and believes he has found a perfectly quiet wife who will allow him to disinherit his nephew without disturbing his peace.

The wedding day noise Right after the ceremony, Epicoene speaks up loudly, refuses to be silenced, and Truewit brings a rowdy crowd of knights, pretenders, and fashionable ladies into the house to celebrate.

The duel of cowards Truewit tricks the foolish knights Sir John Daw and Sir Amorous La-Foole into believing the other wants to fight, resulting in both being secretly beaten and tricked without either facing actual danger.

The mock legal trial Cutbeard and Captain Otter disguise themselves as a canon lawyer and a theologian, dragging Morose through a loud, absurd debate regarding potential grounds for an annulment.

The true identity revealed Dauphine forces Morose to sign over his estate in exchange for freedom, after which he removes Epicoene's disguise to reveal the bride is actually a boy, ending the marriage and securing the fortune.

The People

• Morose: An eccentric, wealthy man obsessed with absolute quiet. He seeks a silent wife purely to spite his nephew, but his desire for peace leads him straight into a chaotic trap.
• Sir Dauphine Eugenie: Morose's clever, calculating nephew. Driven by the need to secure his rightful inheritance, he secretly plans the grand deception involving Epicoene and manages every detail to perfection.
• Epicoene: The central figure of the deception. Introduced as a soft-spoken, modest woman, she turns out to be a loud, assertive bride, and ultimately a young boy playing a role staged by Dauphine.
• Truewit: Dauphine's energetic, resourceful friend. He thrives on witty mischief, helping to coordinate the intruders at the wedding and orchestrating the foolish knights' humiliation.
• Clerimont: A refined gentleman of fashion and friend to Dauphine, who assists in pushing the plot forward and mocking the foolish pretenders of London society.
• Sir John Daw & Sir Amorous La-Foole: A pair of foolish, cowardly knights who pretend to possess great learning, fashion, and romantic success, but are easily manipulated and exposed by Truewit.
• Captain Otter & Mistress Otter: A henpecked former sea captain and his wealthy, commanding wife who host rowdy gatherings and whose household mirrors the dynamic Morose fears.

In Its Own Voice

"The ends of all, who for the scene do write, / Are, or should be, to profit and delight."

From the prologue, outlining the dual purpose of comedy to educate and entertain the audience.

"She is my regent already! I have married a Penthesilea, a Semiramis, sold my liberty to a distaff."

Morose despairs immediately after his new wife reveals her loud, commanding voice following their wedding.

"Why, did you think you had married a statue, or a motion, only? one of the French puppets, with the eyes turn'd with a wire?"

Epicoene confronts Morose, dismissing his expectation that a wife should remain completely silent and passive.

What It's Really About

The play exposes the folly of extreme self-interest, vanity, and social pretension in urban Jacobean society. Morose’s obsessive attempt to control his environment and disinherit his relative leads directly to his own downfall, demonstrating how extreme selfishness isolates a person and leaves them vulnerable to manipulation. The story also pokes fun at the superficiality of social standing, as seen in the foolish knights who invent romantic conquests and intellectual credentials just to impress others. Beneath the farce lies a sharp satire on how money, power, and marital contracts govern human relationships, revealing a world where smooth deception frequently triumphs over rigid eccentricity.

Why Read It Today

This work remains one of the sharpest examples of Jacobean satirical comedy, offering a energetic look at social ambition, foolishness, and clever trickery. Readers who enjoy fast-paced plots, elaborate schemes, and lively satire will find much to admire in its tightly constructed narrative. The play moves with great momentum, building its comedic tension through a series of absurd escalations that culminate in a memorable final twist.

While the story is highly entertaining, modern readers should be prepared for period language, dense classical references, and outdated attitudes regarding gender and marriage. The dialogue features 17th-century legal terms, classical namedropping, and regional slang that occasionally require patience or explanatory notes. However, the core humor—driven by an old crank getting his ultimate comeuppance at the hands of clever pranksters—is timeless. It offers a vivid, witty, and satisfying experience for anyone interested in classic English theater.