The dominant plot is set in motion through his experiment, pretending to be impotent in order to discover which ladies of his acquaintance like sex and are willing to cuckold their husbands by having sex with him: "If I can but abuse the husbands, I'll soon disabuse the wives" (I.i) .
Mr. Pinchwife isn't especially bright, but in his jealousy, he becomes a dangerous character. He becomes passionate in his mad ravings, thinking Margery had conspired to cuckold him. Little did he know that he was correct. He doesn't ever hit her or stab her in the play, but Mr. Pinchwife continually locks Margery in the closet, calls her names, and in all other ways abuses her. Because of his abusive nature, Margery's affair is not a surprise. In fact, it is accepted as a social norm, along with Horner's promiscuity. .
The "Conscious Lovers" (1722), contains a similar deception when two characters pretend to be judges, confusing Cimberton and Mrs. Sealand with the complex legal nonsense that "according to the instruction of Sir Ralph, he could not dock the entail and then create a new estate for the heirs general" (III.I) in order to tangle the marriage proceedings between Lucinda and her crass, inhuman suitor. In this case, the deceit has perfect justification, Cimberton's motives are entirely clear and his eventual rejection of Lucinda on account of her decrease fortunes surprises nobody. The plot's executors are also different, the men involved are Myrtle, who loves Lucinda, and the servant Tom. Bevil Jr. himself, the play's main and most virtuous character, is exempted from taking part in the plot, although he invented it. .
When important, upper-class characters do attempt to conceal the truth, they do it out of regard for each other, not malice. John Bevil orders his son to marry Lucinda, though the marriage will not take place, because he wants to ensure that Bevil Jr. has no dishonorable affections for Indiana.
