The City Bride (1696) Or, The Merry Cuckold

"The City Bride" by Joseph Harris is a comedic play from the late 1600s that takes inspiration from older stories to explore the tricky parts of love and staying true to someone. The story follows Arabella as she deals with the ups and downs of marriage and the temptation to be unfaithful. It starts with a lively wedding party, but soon hidden feelings and problems start to bubble up between characters like Bonvile, Arabella, and Friendly. Friendly gets a shocking letter that asks him to choose between his loyalty to a friend and a dangerous request, showing how love and friendship can get really complicated. The play uses clever jokes and interesting characters to hint at deeper emotional struggles hiding just below the surface of all the fun.