There are many texts that deal with the role of the male individual in society; their positions are discussed politically, socially and personally. However, during the Restoration, in-depth discussion of the individual role of women in society was often lacking. Women are accessories, background objects, rewards. They are often seen simply as aesthetically pleasing sexual beings. In William Wycherley's play The Country Wife, men speak of women as sexual objects to be gained, shared, or used. The perfect contrast to the themes regarding women in this piece is Mary Astell's essay, A Serious Proposal to the Ladies. In the portion of the essay found in the DeMaria anthology, Astell praises the abilities of women and encourages them to rise up and become equal to men in all respects. The two texts offer an interesting contrast on a theme that was lost in the era of political treaties and industrialization. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Mary Astell speaks directly to women about their advancement and position in society, which will also lead to their placement in heaven. From the outset, she seeks to “improve [women’s] charm and increase [their] value by no longer letting them be cheap and contemptible” (Astell 423). She states that the things women are involved in now are "volatile and fickle like the chance that is to get rid of them" (Astell 422), and she offers a "proposition which is accompanied by a more certain and more substantial” (Astell 422). Essentially, Astell uses her essay to make women understand that for their beauty and life in general to amount to something "lasting and permanent...from a corruptible body to an immortal spirit" (Astell 423), they must become equal to men in every direction. She believes that men are given too much value, while women are "respected" for things that have no real value, like empty physical beauty. Women should not only “be as beautiful, but as wise as the 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 mindless things such as their dress or dancing skills. Women are not just for show, like “Tulips in a garden…good for nothing” (Astell 424). According to Astell, women during the Restoration period could and did represent more than showpieces and sexual prizes. William Wycherley uses humor to address topics of sexuality during the Restoration in his play The Country Wife. Through the actions and words of the characters, Wycherley creates a world for the viewer or reader 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. Thus, Wycherley establishes that a woman's role in society is to keep men (especially her husband) satisfied, whether by remaining faithful and loyal only to the man she is married to, or by remaining pure if she doesn't commit. to any man. Perhaps the most telling evidence of the role of women in society is what the play centers on; Horner and his lies about being a eunuch to get into women's lives and then sleep with them. The fact that..