When the English monarchy returned to power in 1660 after the English Civil Wars, London’s theaters were re-opened as well — with major changes to the playhouses, the personnel, the audiences, and the plays. Royalty and courtiers as well as citizens were enthusiastic patrons of the theater, especially its comedies, which updated traditional roles: fops and fallen women, cuckolds and witty couples, curious virgins and male and female rakes. In this class, we will read, discuss, and write about Restoration comedies and their contexts, along with current scholarship on them. Our ambitious final project will be to recreate the atmosphere of a Restoration playhouse during an afternoon performance.

For those who declared in Fall 2023 or later, this course can fulfill one of two requirements for the English major:
-Historical requirement: Literatures & Cultures, 1700-1900
-Subject requirement: Form, Media, Expression