Aphra Behn

Aphra Behn has emerged as a central literary figure in early feminist studies and as such, this new edition of Wiseman's critical study covers the considerable revision of critical appreciation of her work that has occurred in the past few years. During a writing career from the Restoration (1660) to the so-called Glorious Revolution (1688-89) Aphra Behn was prolific in all the commercial genres of her time and treated the most controversial issues of her day: sexual and cultural difference, slavery, politics and money. This study brings together an analysis of the full range of her work in poetry, prose and drama, giving full textual and contextual analysis of her best-known plays and prose: The River, Oroonoko, Love letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister. It also offers extended treatment of plays such as The Lucky Chance and The City Heiress in relation to the sexual and national politics of the Restoration and a critical evaluation of Behn's hitherto relatively neglected political and erotic poetry.

S. J. Wiseman teaches English Literature at Birkbeck, University of London.