Knowra Aphra Behn Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (c. 1640–1689) was an English playwright, poet, and novelist of the Restoration era, among the first English women to earn a living through writing.
The Rover : Aphra Behn’s Restoration comedy follows English cavaliers pursuing love and pleasure in Naples during Carnival. Its success made it one of Behn’s best-known plays and a landmark of Restoration comedy.
Restoration theatre : English drama and performance after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, marked by commercial playhouses and professional actors. Behn wrote for its companies, audiences, and commercial stage.
English Restoration : The reestablishment of the English monarchy under Charles II in 1660 and the political era that followed. Behn’s professional writing career unfolded under the restored monarchy.
John Dryden : An English poet, playwright, and critic who became poet laureate in 1668. Dryden’s praise of Behn reflects her standing among Restoration literary contemporaries.
Oroonoko : Aphra Behn’s prose narrative tells of an enslaved African prince in Suriname and his rebellion against colonial captivity. Its blend of political argument, romance, and claimed eyewitness testimony made it her most debated prose work.
King's Company : A London theatre company established after the Restoration, one of two major patent companies of the period. The company staged several of Behn’s plays, including her debut.
Charles II of England : King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1660 until his death in 1685. Behn’s writing and royalist associations took shape during his reign.
Virginia Woolf : An English modernist writer and critic whose essays include reflections on women’s literary history. Woolf’s account of Behn helped renew attention to women’s ability to earn through writing.
The Forced Marriage : Aphra Behn’s first play, a tragedy first staged in 1670, centers on dynastic marriage and conflicting desire. Its stage success established Behn as a professional dramatist.
Thomas Betterton : A leading English actor and theatre manager whose career spanned the Restoration and early eighteenth century. His company performed Behn’s work and helped shape its theatrical life.
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