George Farquhar (1678-1707) was perhaps the best, and certainly the most popular, playwright to appear at the turn of the 18th century. He captivated audiences with his lively good-natured comedies, and romanced the leading actresses and female playwrights. In addition to his eight plays, he wrote many poems, letters, an epic, and a miscellany--all before his untimely death at less than thirty. Shirley Strum Kenny has provided the first scholarly edition of the works since 1730; she has added to the canon materials not printed since the beginning of the 18th century, some of which have never...
George Farquhar (1678-1707) was perhaps the best, and certainly the most popular, playwright to appear at the turn of the 18th century. He captivated ...
Farquhar's last two plays, The Recruiting Officer and The Beaux'Stratagem, have been called 'the last worthwhile comedies of theRestoration tradition'. Written during Farquhar's stint in Shrewsburyas part of a recruiting mission in 1704-5, The Recruiting Officer is abuoyant, whimsical piece stocked by a fairly conventional cast ofcharacters: the rake-hero and his spirited lady (who dons breeches inthe course of the action), his sober friend and the heroine's seriousfriend, the buffoon/coxcomb and his ill-fated amorous or heroicventures. What makes the play entertaining is Farquhar's light,...
Farquhar's last two plays, The Recruiting Officer and The Beaux'Stratagem, have been called 'the last worthwhile comedies of theRestoration traditi...
Since its first appearance in 1706, The Recruiting Officer has remained a scathing satire of military recruitment. George Farquhar knew the subject well, since he had been involved himself in the tricks and intimidation that enlisted recruits for Queen Anne's army in the War of Spanish Succession from 1703-1705. In Farquhar's play, two recruiting officers compete for recruits in the same locale. Recruiting in those years required more than patriotism and the lure of glory: it relied on bribery, alcohol, and the whole armory of deceit. Farquhar's play makes connections explicit, further...
Since its first appearance in 1706, The Recruiting Officer has remained a scathing satire of military recruitment. George Farquhar knew the subject we...
