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Women in Restoration Comedy

A. Lady Wishfort as representative ôladyö

B. Mrs. Witwoud as victim of male objectification

C. Male control over womenÆs sexuality in Wycherly

D. Male control over womenÆs education in Sheridan

E. WomenÆs expression ôdisguisedö in Congreve

F. A more graphic reality of women in Behn & Etheredge

G. Sexuality as equalizer in Dryden

H. Sir Harbottle Grimstone and defining ômeaningö

I. Sir Harbottle Grimstone and the limitations of ôwordsö to define and express human nature

A. Restoration comedy as harbinger of modern gender relations

B. Then as now: An uneven playing field for women and men

Restoration comedy is a style that developed within English theater beginning around the time of the Restoration in 1660. One major development English theater during this period was the first use of female actors on the stage. Women were particularly employed in the breeches part, a part that was specifically designed so the actor had to wear male clothing. This tight-fitting attire was utilized to display a womanÆs figure to its greatest advantage. While there are many themes running through Restoration comedy, from kingship and aristocracy to libertinism and sexual intrigue, the game of love and marriage preoccupy a central role in a majority of the comedies of the era. Within the game of love and marriage women play a focal role. Despite the rigid social hierarchy and defined gender roles of the era, the game of love and marriage do not suggest a perfect social order. This is particularly true as it applies to interaction between women and men.

For during the Restoration even though marriage symbolized order, in comedies of the era there appears to be something complex and even sinister about gender relations or disorder. We often see marriages without love and love that shatters convention. Relations between the genders appear to be an ongoing struggle that does not always involved...

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Women in Restoration Comedy. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 18:01, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1711044.html