
Three Hours after Marriage
by John Gay and John Arbuthnot and Alexander Pope
- First published
- 1717
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Three Hours after Marriage" by John Gay, John Arbuthnot, and Alexander Pope is a satirical farce written in 1717. The play follows Doctor Fossil, a pompous aging scientist who marries a much younger woman, Mrs. Townley. She is immediately pursued by two rival suitors who devise elaborate schemes to hide their intentions from her suspicious husband. The plot grows more chaotic with the addition of a female poet and a literary critic, creating a comedy that targets real London figures of the era.
- Comedy plays
- English drama
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #37667. Three Hours after Marriage on Wikipedia.


