Restoration Comedy Characteristics

Why This Matters

Restoration comedy represents one of theatre history's most dramatic pivots—from Puritan suppression to unbridled theatrical excess. When you study these characteristics, you're examining how political and social upheaval shapes artistic expression, how theatre reflects and critiques its audience, and how genre conventions emerge from specific historical moments. The Restoration stage didn't just entertain; it held a mirror to aristocratic society and laughed at what it saw.

You're being tested on your ability to identify how form reflects content, why certain theatrical conventions develop, and what makes comedy an effective vehicle for social criticism. Don't just memorize that Restoration comedies feature witty dialogue—understand why that wit functioned as both entertainment and class marker. Know what each characteristic reveals about Restoration England's values, anxieties, and contradictions.

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Historical Context and Origins

The characteristics of Restoration comedy didn't emerge in a vacuum—they were direct responses to political restoration, continental influence, and the lifting of theatrical prohibition.

Restoration of Theatres After Puritan Ban

• Charles II's return in 1660 reopened the theatres—ending eighteen years of Puritan suppression that had shuttered playhouses and criminalized performance
• New patent theatres (Drury Lane and Dorset Garden) established a duopoly system that shaped production practices for decades
• Secular, pleasure-focused entertainment replaced moralistic drama, reflecting the court's rejection of Puritan austerity

Influence of French Comedy

• Molière's comedies provided structural models—English playwrights borrowed plot devices, character types, and the emphasis on social observation
• Charles II's exile in France exposed the court to continental theatrical sophistication, which they demanded upon return
• Neoclassical unities (time, place, action) loosely influenced structure, though English playwrights adapted rather than strictly followed French conventions

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Language and Wit as Social Currency

Restoration comedy's verbal brilliance wasn't mere decoration—language functioned as a marker of class, intelligence, and social fitness.

Witty Dialogue and Repartee

• Verbal sparring demonstrated social superiority—characters who couldn't keep up with rapid exchanges revealed themselves as outsiders or fools
• Balanced, antithetical sentence structures showcased education and rhetorical training expected of the elite
• Audience engagement depended on spectators catching allusions, double meanings, and the subtle victories in conversational combat

Sexual Innuendo and Double Entendres

• Suggestive language operated on multiple levels—allowing sophisticated audiences to decode meanings while maintaining plausible deniability
• Post-Puritan liberation made sexual frankness both fashionable and politically charged, rejecting the previous regime's moral strictures
• Wit transformed crude content into art—the cleverness of delivery elevated bawdy material into acceptable entertainment for mixed-gender audiences

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Social Critique Through Character and Plot

Restoration playwrights weaponized theatrical conventions to expose aristocratic hypocrisy—stock characters and intricate plots served satirical purposes.

Stock Characters (Fops, Rakes, Coquettes)

• Fops embodied excessive concern with fashion—their vanity and affected manners satirized aristocratic superficiality taken to absurd extremes
• Rakes represented libertine philosophy—charming but morally bankrupt, they tested whether wit could excuse bad behavior (audiences often concluded it could)
• Coquettes wielded feminine power strategically—using flirtation as currency in a marriage market where women had limited formal authority

Social Satire and Criticism

• Upper-class hypocrisy became primary target—playwrights exposed the gap between aristocratic pretensions and actual behavior
• Humor disarmed defensiveness—audiences laughed at satirized versions of themselves, making criticism palatable
• Serious issues (gender inequality, class exploitation) received attention through comedic framing that might have been censored in serious drama

Complicated Plots with Multiple Subplots

• Interwoven storylines mirrored social complexity—reflecting how aristocratic lives intersected through marriage, money, and intrigue
• Mistaken identities and deceptions drove action while commenting on the performative nature of social identity itself
• Resolution required untangling multiple threads—satisfying audiences who valued intellectual engagement alongside entertainment

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The Comedy of Manners Framework

The broader genre classification of "comedy of manners" captures how Restoration playwrights made social behavior itself the subject of comedy.

Comedy of Manners Style

• Manners (social behaviors and customs) became content—not just backdrop but the actual material being examined and mocked
• Irony and understatement replaced broad physical comedy as primary humor modes
• Surface polish concealed (or revealed) moral emptiness—the style itself commented on aristocratic priorities

Focus on Upper-Class Society and Manners

• Exclusive social world of the elite provided setting, characters, and concerns—servants appeared mainly as plot devices or comic relief
• Status anxiety drove character motivation—fear of losing social position or failing to advance shaped behavior
• Etiquette violations signaled character flaws—audiences read social missteps as moral indicators

Emphasis on Marriage and Courtship

• Marriage functioned as economic transaction—Restoration comedy exposed the mercenary calculations beneath romantic rhetoric
• Courtship rituals provided dramatic structure—the path to marriage (or away from it) organized most plots
• "Proviso scenes" (negotiated marriage terms) became signature set pieces, revealing what couples actually valued

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Theatrical Innovation and Performance

Restoration comedy introduced performance practices that transformed English theatre—including the revolutionary presence of women on stage.

Strong Female Characters and Actresses on Stage

• Women legally permitted on English stages for the first time—Charles II's 1662 decree ended the tradition of boy actors in female roles
• Assertive, witty heroines matched male characters in verbal combat, often controlling plot outcomes through superior strategy
• "Breeches roles" (women disguised as men) became popular, allowing actresses to display legs while exploring gender performance

Use of Prologues and Epilogues

• Direct audience address broke the fourth wall, creating intimacy between performers and spectators
• Prologues managed expectations—often apologizing for the play while promoting it, acknowledging the theatrical contract
• Epilogues invited reflection—frequently delivered by actresses, they commented on themes and solicited applause with charm and wit

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. Which two characteristics both demonstrate how language functioned as social currency in Restoration comedy, and how do they differ in purpose?

2. Explain how stock characters and complicated plots work together to create effective social satire—why does Restoration comedy need both?

3. Compare the influence of the Puritan theatre ban with the influence of French comedy: how did each shape what Restoration comedy became?

4. If an essay asked you to analyze how Restoration comedy reflected changing gender dynamics, which two characteristics would provide your strongest evidence, and why?

5. What connects the comedy of manners style, the focus on upper-class society, and the emphasis on marriage? Identify the underlying concern that unites all three characteristics.