THEA 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Aphra Behn, Restoration Comedy, Puritans
Document Summary
Shakespeare dies in 1616, the theatre scene started to decline afterwards. Years of unrest and civil war lead to oliver cromwell and the puritans taking over. Theatre is banned in 1642 in england: theatres are demolished, actors are really considered less than vagrants. King charles i is executed in 1649. Years of boring puritanical rule no fun anywhere. Cromwell dies in 1658, puritans can"t continue without him. I"s son) is returned from french exile in 1660: brings french fashion, brings french elitism. The king is restored to the throne hence the restoration. Elite-centered plots, usually about ruining a wealthy young maiden by a broke male aristocrat, either out of fun or just for her money, or both. Only 2 theatres open in london at this time, wealthy/elite audiences were limited, plays written at breakneck speed with new plays opening every three or four days: similar plots and stories, very formulaic.
