Restoration Comedy
A style of witty, sexually frank comedy that flourished on the English stage after the theatres reopened in 1660 following the Puritan ban. Restoration comedies feature elaborate plots of seduction and intrigue among the upper classes, sharp dialogue, and satirical observation of social manners. Key playwrights include William Congreve (The Way of the World), William Wycherley, and Aphra Behn—the first professional English woman playwright.
