Brandon Chua

Ravishment of Reason presents a new contextual framework for the study of Restoration drama, demonstrating the important cultural work performed by the restored theaters in offering versions of political theory that mediated between older notions of thaumaturgic authority and proto-modern forms of government premised upon autonomy and contract. It draws attention to critically neglected but culturally significant plays by Boyle and Crowne while offering innovative re-readings of major figures like Dryden and Behn.