Oxford English Monographs
1 total work
"The Ladies" is a study of the connection between women and the theatre in Restoration England. It examines the plays they saw, what they liked, how often they went, how they behaved in the theatre and their role as patrons of drama. It also examines their class backround and describes the position of women generally in Restoration society. Roberts criticizes the view that a "ladies faction" caused the change from bawdy to sentimental comedy, thereby altering the course of English drama. However, he argues that certain sentimental comedies catered for the interests of their female audience by taking advantage of the fashionable concern for women's rights.