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Restoration England 1660-1685Deep Dive

Key Playwrights & Works

Part of Culture and Theatre — GCSE History

This deep dive covers Key Playwrights & Works within Culture and Theatre for GCSE History. Revise Culture and Theatre in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 3 of 14 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 3 of 14

Practice

8 questions

Recall

4 flashcards

🧠 Key Playwrights & Works

William Wycherley: The Country Wife (1675) — about cuckoldry and sexual intrigue. Scandalous and hugely popular.
George Etherege: The Man of Mode (1676) — portrait of a witty libertine. Based on courtiers.
Aphra Behn: First professional woman playwright. The Rover (1677). Wrote for money — remarkable achievement.
John Dryden: Poet Laureate. Wrote heroic dramas and comedies. Also literary critic.

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Culture and Theatre. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Key Features of Restoration TheatreMusic & Other ArtsSetting the SceneWhat Culture Tells Us

Practice Questions for Culture and Theatre

Why were theatres closed during the Interregnum (1642-1660)?

  • A. Charles I ordered them closed as a wartime measure to save money
  • B. The Puritans considered theatres sinful and immoral
  • C. The theatres were destroyed in the Great Fire of London
  • D. French playwrights had taken all the best acting roles
1 markfoundation

What was significant about who performed in Restoration theatres for the first time in English history?

  • A. Foreign playwrights were allowed to write English plays for the first time
  • B. Working-class audiences were admitted to the pit for a penny
  • C. Women were allowed to perform as actresses on the public stage
  • D. Boys under the age of twelve were banned from acting
1 markfoundation

Quick Recall Flashcards

Who was Aphra Behn?
First professional woman playwright and novelist in England. Wrote The Rover (1677) and Oroonoko — one of the first English novels (1688). Worked as a spy for Charles II in Antwerp during the Dutch Wars. Pioneer of women in professional writing.
Why had theatres been closed before 1660?
Puritans banned plays as immoral during the Interregnum (1642-1660) — they condemned theatrical performances as corrupting and irreligious. Charles II's Restoration immediately reversed this, issuing licences for two theatre companies in 1660.

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Key Features of Restoration Theatre

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Music & Other Arts