Cuckoldry has a long history on both the dramatic and comedic stage. Some plays with Cuckolds as a theme or element include: The Country Wife, The London Cuckolds, Moliere’s The Imaginary Cuckold, A Cure for a Cuckold, Moliere’s The School for Husbands, Le Cocu Magnifique, and many others. The original meaning was restricted specifically to women cheating on their husbands, but over time the usage has become more relaxed on the roles. Dramatically speaking, the Cuckold has been traditionally used to demonstrate a man’s loss of sexual power, as his wife is won over by another man.

The Cuckold is also used frequently in comedies and farces, especially by Moliere, author of Tartuffe. Shakespeare often referenced or used the image of Cuckolds, in The Winter’s Tale, King Lear, King John, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Taming of the Shrew, and of course, As You Like It.

Shakespeare mostly uses the term cuckold to advise of the infidelity and mis-trust that a lot of marriages have. He goes on to show his public its consequences. He also used it as a fearful word due to the connotation that being cuckold or cuckolded implied, such as men losing their social status and women being insubordinate.

A more modern view of Cuckoldry can be found in tons of contemporary plays, including Straight, Losers Bracket, Cheaters, and The Excuser, just to name a few notable ones.