Epicoene; Or, The Silent Woman

by Ben Jonson

"Epicoene; Or, The Silent Woman" by Ben Jonson is a comedy first performed in 1609. The play follows Dauphine, who devises an elaborate scheme to secure his inheritance from his uncle Morose, a wealthy man with an extreme hatred of noise. The plan centers on tricking Morose into marrying Epicoene, who appears to be the perfect silent bride. But after the wedding, chaos erupts as the house fills with noisy guests and the supposedly quiet wife reveals a very different nature. The play builds toward a shocking revelation that changes everything.