Amatory Fiction

Came from Francea)Heroic romance: men commit heroic deeds, ladies forever faithfulb)Predecessors of romance novel: innocent women as victims of lustful menc)Cronique scanadaleuse/Roman à clef: about contemporary scandals

Aphra Behn‘s prose

• Love-Letters between a Nobleman to his Sister (1684): about a contemporary scandal; combines themes of love and politics

• The Fair Jilt (1688)• Oroonoko (1688): combines genre of heroic

romance with travel narrative, adventure story, report about slavery, etc.

Turn of the century drama• From heroic drama to pathetic/affective tragedy:

heroes from lower rank; decide for love not duty; basically innocent; women as victims (she tragedies), written in blank verse; wanted to move audience to tears

• From comedy of manners to reformed comedy (later: sentimental comedy): values goodness of heart rather than wit; rake reforms; sexual innuendo avoided.

• 1698: Jeremy Collier: A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage

The Female Wits• Delarivier Manley: 1672-1724• plays, e.g. The Royal Mischief• Romans à clef: The New Atalantis• Catherine Trotter: 1679 -1749• Plays, e.g. The Fatal Friendship• Philosophical writings• Mary Pix: 1666 - 1709• Plays, e.g. The Deceiver Deceived

Susanna Centlivre 1667 - 1723

• The Gamester 1705• The Busybody 1709• The Wonder! A Woman Keeps a Secret

1714• A Bold Stroke for a Wife 1718