Whigs versus Tories
Although on the surface seemingly little more than a trifling romantic comedy, the play is actually quite political. This aspect would have been much more obvious to its contemporary audiences than to modern audiences as much as it would be more apparent to British audiences than Americans. The political atmosphere reflects the tumultuous period in which it was written which marked the beginning of the end of the pursuit of absolute power invested in the monarch. From this point forward, the power of British kings and queens would continually be chipped away at while the balance of authority shifted toward Parliament. The characters are starkly divided along political factions: The Whigs (representing constitutional monarchism and decentralization of power) and the Tories (representing absolute monarchism and the privilege position of aristocrats).
Rejecting Tory Francophilia
One specific aspect of the divide between Whig and Tory policies which earns it own distinct subplot is directly related to the consequences of Glorious Revolution. The displacement of the Catholic James II from the throne by the ascension of the Protestant William and Mary had the effect not only of a movement toward constitutionalism and away from absolutism, but also a rejection of the growing alliance with the predominantly Catholic France. Almost overnight, the love of all things French expressed by the Tories transformed into not just a rejection of all things French, but open mocking. This theme is roundly expressed in the play through the subplot of the prank pulled on the Fantast women to undermine their misplaced (Tory) sense of self-supremacy. This prank involves, of course, lowly wigmaker masquerading as a French count and speaking in a ridiculously thick Gallic accent.
Communication and Language
Language as the utensil of communication is an important theme apart from the political underpinnings as well as connected to it. The Fantast women consider themselves the height of wit and intellectual achievement, yet speak in lofty language that not only obstructs actual communication but serves to reveal them as object of ridicule. Their floral verbosity is intended to represent what had become something of a fad among the Tories during the Restoration. The prank pulled upon Lady and Mrs. Fantast connects with the Tory view, of course, by using their Francophilia against them to reveal their obliviousness to their own ignorance. On the other hand, Gertrude really is quite intelligent and spends the entire play—literally every single line up to her closing speech—positioning herself as what would be today termed an empowered feminist. This communication of theory is then absolutely undone and reversed with her final words in which she situates herself firmly convention. It is impossible to determine from context whether that final communique is intended to be sincere or ironic.
