author
William Wycherley
1640–1716
A sharp, funny voice of Restoration theater, remembered for comedies that still spark debate about wit, manners, and moral hypocrisy. Best known for The Country Wife and The Plain Dealer, he wrote plays that helped define the stage after the English monarchy was restored.
1 Audiobook
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William Wycherley [Four Plays]
by William Wycherley
About the author
Born around 1640 or 1641 in Shropshire, William Wycherley became one of the standout playwrights of Restoration England. As a teenager he spent time in France, and that experience helped shape the polished, courtly world reflected in his writing. He later returned to England and made his name in London theater.
His best-known plays include Love in a Wood, The Gentleman Dancing-Master, The Country Wife, and The Plain Dealer. These comedies are famous for their quick dialogue, social satire, and bold treatment of love, marriage, jealousy, and public reputation. Though often controversial for their sexual frankness, they remain central works in the history of English comedy.
Wycherley also moved in fashionable and literary circles, and his life seems to have been nearly as dramatic as his plays. Today he is remembered as a major Restoration dramatist whose work captures both the sparkle and the moral unease of his age.