Blackwell Reference Online

This Companion illustrates the vitality and diversity of dramatic work in the period from 1600 to 1710. Twenty-five essays by leading scholars in the field bring together the best recent insights into the full range of dramatic practice and innovation at the time. They examine wellknown genres such as Restoration sex comedy in a new light, and explore other genres such as heroic plays, satirical comedy and sentimental ‘she-tragedy’, tragicomedy and political tragedy.

The three sections of the volume address the various aspects of Restoration drama. The first situates the drama in its theatricla and social contexts and examines changing responses to Restoration drama from the eighteenth century to date; the second explores the wide range of dramatic genres; and the final section offers and introduction to the playwrights, including the first women dramatists, and sheds new light on the relationships between them. Coverage of the best-known dramatists is balanced by attention to lesser-known authors and plays.