The Country Wife · Character
Dorilant
Horner's witty companion, who trades bawdy aphorisms about wine, women, and friendship with the ease of a man with nothing to lose.
supporting
Also known as Dorilant, Mr. Dorilant
First appearance: act i
As a supporting figure in The Country Wife, Dorilant is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Dorilant is one of the town wits who orbit Horner, matching him line for line on the relative merits of mistresses and bottles. He argues that a mistress should be like a country retreat, visited briefly and left, and he converts readily to Horner's case against love. His banter establishes the masculine social world against which the play's sexual scheming plays out, and his loyalty gives Horner a foil for the cynicism that drives the plot.
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Character Web
11 connectionsA slice of how Dorilant sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Main characters and intriguers
- Protagonist
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Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this scene, the emotional and psychological peak occurs when Horner reveals to Quack that his feigned impot…
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