SOURCE: Marshall, W. Gerald. Introduction to A Great Stage of Fools: Theatricality and Madness in the Plays of William Wycherley, pp. 1-18. New York: AMS Press, 1993.

In the following essay, Marshall defines the historical context of theatricality and madness in Wycherley's plays.

With few exceptions, commentaries on the four plays of William Wycherley are superficial in nature and do not offer a unified vision for the dramatic canon produced by the greatest of the Restoration comic playwrights. Traditionally, the plays have been defined as comedies of manners or of wit, with either approach vastly limiting our understanding of the plays' depth and complexity.¹ Even very recent studies have tended to be narrow and stereotypical, discussing only the sexual aspects of Wycherley's drama. For instance, Robert F. Bode suggests that the central theme of The Plain Dealer is ambiguity in sexual relations, while Richard Braverman argues that Wycherley's plays...