“Variety is the soul of pleasure.”
(from The Rover, a play by Aphra Behn in 1677)
Aphra Behn (1640-1689) was an English playwright, poet and translator during the Restoration period in England. Her early life is a mystery and she often seemed to re-invent her story as time went on. She may have had a Catholic upbringing as she claimed she was, “designed for a nun”.
By 1666 she was part of the court of King Charles II and was allegedly a spy upon the descendants of those who had executed Charles I and who might plot against the new king. During the succession crisis following the death of Charles II, Behn openly criticised Whig politicians who wanted to exclude James (soon to be James II) from the succession due to his Catholicism.
Behn wrote a number of plays, the first of which being The Forc’d Marriage was a tragi-comedy commenting on arranged marriages. As a female playwright she was often criticised by male writers. As well as being a playwright and poet, she also translated a number of French writers’ works. Following her death, 18th Century writers dismissed her work and slandered her loose morals. It wasn’t until the 20th Century that she was appreciated for her achievements.
Teaching Themes
Restoration: Development of theatre, Restoration comedy, culture during this time.
Religious conflict: Behn was born in the English Civil War and grew up at a time of great religious upheaval; she may have been a secret Catholic.
British Empire & Slavery: Behn travelled to Surinam and wrote her book Oroonoko about the kidnap of African royalty; she may have been a spy for the British government.
Social commentary: Behn’s plays often focus on gender relations, marriage, and the sexual mores of the time.
Historical significance: Although one of the most prolific writers of her time, her work was dismissed until it was ‘rediscovered’ in the 20th Century.
Period & Place
National Curriculum Link
Ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901
Exam Specification Links
GCSE AQA: (Option BD) – Restoration England 1660-1685.
A-level AQA: (Option 1C) – Britain 1625-1701: Conflict, Revolution and Settlement.
Sources
For modernised versions of her plays: https://www.aphrabehn.org.uk/category/resources/
For support in teaching, including conferences and workshops: https://www.aphrabehn.online/
A number of resources on Restoration theatre: https://www.r18collective.org/
Scholarship
Todd, J. (2017) Aphra Behn: A Secret Life. London: Fentum Press.
Spencer, J. (1988) The Rise of the Woman Novelist: From Aphra Behn to Jane Austen. Oxford: J Wiley & Sons.
W. J. Cameron (1961) New Light on Aphra Behn: An Investigation into the Facts and Fictions Surrounding Her Journey to Surinam in 1663 and Her Activities as a Spy in Flanders in 1666. Auckland: University of Auckland Press.
Historical Fiction
Laidlaw, R. (1992) Aphra Behn: Dispatch’d from Athole – The Journal of Aphra Behn’s Secret Mission to Scotland. Nairn: Balnain Books.