# Lucy — The Country Wife character guide

> Lucy in The Country Wife by William Wycherley.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Lucy

**First appearance:** 0005-act-i

## Snapshot

Alithea's sharp-tongued maid, who sees through every disguise and speaks the cynical truths her mistress will not admit aloud.

## Who they are

Lucy serves Alithea with a wit that cuts both ways, puncturing her mistress's faith in Sparkish's constancy while hinting that liberty, not honour, is what women really lose in marriage. She reads the town's hypocrisy fluently, from husbands who banish wives to the country to ladies who marry for a Lincoln's-Inn-Fields address. When Harcourt arrives disguised as a parson, Lucy's stifled laughter signals that she knows the game before anyone else, making her the play's knowing chorus.

## Relationships

### [Alithea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_country_wife_se/characters/alithea)

_professional_

Lucy is Alithea's loyal maid and confidante, helping her navigate romantic intrigues.

### [Mr. Harcourt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_country_wife_se/characters/mr_harcourt)

_friendship_

Lucy acts as a go-between for Harcourt and Alithea, supporting their romance out of loyalty to her mistress.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_country_wife_se/characters/lucy
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_country_wife_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_country_wife_se/characters