There are many texts that deal with the role of the individual male in society; their positions are discussed politically, socially and personally. However, during the Restoration period, an in-depth discussion of women's individual role in society was often lacking. Women are props, background objects, prizes. They are often seen simply as aesthetically pleasing sexual beings. In William Wycherley's play The Country Wife, men discuss women as sexual objects to be won, shared, or used. The perfect contrast to the themes concerning women in this play is Mary Astell's essay, A Serious Proposal to the Ladies. In the portion of the essay found in the DeMaria anthology, Astell praises women's abilities and encourages them to surpass and become equal to men in every way. The two texts offer an interesting contrast with each other on a theme that was lost in the period between political treatises and industrialization. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayMary Astell speaks directly to women about their progress and position in society, which will also lead to their placement in heaven. Immediately, he seeks to "enhance [women's] charm and increase [their] value by suffering that [they] are no longer cheap and despicable" (Astell 423). He states that the things in which women are now involved are "as volatile and fickle as that case which must dispose of them" (Astell 422), and proposes a "Proposition which is accompanied by a more certain and substantial gain" (Astell 422). .In essence, Astell uses her essay to convey to women that in order for their beauty and life in general to amount to something “lasting and permanent…from a corruptible body to an immortal mind” (Astell 423) they must become equal to men in any way. She believes that too much value is placed on men, while women are “respected” for issues that lack real value, such as empty physical beauty. Women should not only “be lovely, but wise as angels” (Astell 423) and begin to “ennoble [their] minds with graces that truly deserve them” (Astell 423). Astell writes that women should be respected and known for their minds and thoughts, not just trivial things like their way of dressing or their dancing skills. The women are not just for show, as “Tulips in a garden…good for nothing” (Astell 424). According to Astell, women during the Restoration period can and should be more than mere display pieces and sexual prizes. William Wycherley uses humor to discuss issues of sexuality during the Restoration in his play, The Country Wife. Through the actions and words of the characters, Wycherley creates for the viewer or reader a world in which women are objects, owned or traded by men. Women are purely sexual conquests for men and defined in terms of their sexuality and their connection to men. Therefore, Wycherley establishes that a woman's role in society is to keep men (particularly her husband) content, both by remaining faithful and loyal only to the man she is married to, and by remaining pure if she is not committed to any man . What is perhaps the most significant evidence of women's role in society is what the play is centered on; Horner and his lies about being a eunuch to enter women's lives and then sleep with them. The fact that women can be tricked into trusting him shows that they are not seen as intelligent creatures within society. This notion fits perfectly with what Mary wrote.