THE ROVER & OTHER PLAYS (OXFORD WORLD S CLASSICS)

Aphra Behn (1640-89) was both successful and controversial in her own lifetime; her achievements are now recognized less equivocally and her plays, often revived, demonstrate wit, compassion and remarkable range. This edition brings together her most important comedies in a single volume: The Rover, her best-known play; The Feigned Courtesans, a lively comedy of intrigue; The Lucky Chance, a comedy with a bitter edge, which takes a satirical look at marriage customs; and the dazzling and popular farce, The Emperor of the Moon. All the plays have been newly edited and are presented with modernized spelling and punctuation. ''An affordable volume of Behn''s major plays is long overdue. The endnotes are helpful in placing Behn in a literary tradition and the cultural milieu of her London. The text will be appropriate for a variety of courses: Woemn''s Studies, period surveys, drama courses, etc.''--Deborah Montuori, University of Missouri-Columbia ''This collection of four comedies by Aphra Behn is a welcome addition to the growing number of available works by 17th-century women authors.''--Choice