Women's Make Up
At the beginning of the play, Clerimont and Truewit speak at length about heavily made-up women. Clerimont, expressing an opinion of many men at the time, detests the practice of women "painting" their faces, as it does not portray them as they truly are. Truewit, by contrast, thinks that this practice only helps accentuate what is already beautiful about women, but he feels that the process should be undertaken in private so as to preserve the illusion of truth. Clerimont uses imagery of clowns and noxious substances to make his points, while Truewit compares women to gardens and other naturally beautiful phenomena.
Women as Meat
When Truewit goes to Morose's house to convince him not to get married, he tells Morose that attractive women are like a piece of sweet meat that ends up attracting many flies. This grotesque image relies on the objectification of women as objects for consumption, but it is not clear to the audience whether Truewit actually believes what he is saying or if he is espousing misogyny in order to appeal to Morose's sensibilities.
Otter's Hobbies
Mistress Otter frequently criticizes Captain Otter for his hobbies of bear- and bull-fighting, which she sees as undignified and at odds with the reputation she is attempting to cultivate by joining the Ladies Collegiates. She often refers to the stench one experiences at such events, berating Otter for associating her household with low-class behavior.
Silent Dolls
When Epicene and Morose are married, Epicene immediately launches into a loud and opinionated spiel criticizing her new husband. When he retorts, she asks him if he had wanted to marry a doll with large round eyes and a mouth sewn shut. This image helps underscore Morose's own misogyny – he will only marry a woman he can control – while also more broadly critiquing the notion that women be quiet and obedient above all else.
