Final answer:
William Wycherley wrote 'The Country Wife' and was known as a comic trendsetter in the Restoration comedy genre.
Step-by-step explanation:
The playwright who wrote The Country Wife and is known for being a comic trendsetter is William Wycherley. This play is a Restoration comedy, a genre that became popular in the late 17th century in England. Such comedies often centered around sexual intrigues and the social elite, and were known for their wit and satirical edge, rather than focusing on moral lessons or romantic sentimentality which were prevalent in earlier periods. In these Restoration plays, a comic figure like Wycherley would often highlight societal trends and norms within the aristocracy.
Other contemporary playwrights of William Wycherley included William Congreve, who also crafted comedies of manners, as well as Oscar Wilde who later became one of the most renowned authors of this type of comedy in the 19th century.