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Pankratz, Annette. “Restoration Comedy : Theatre and Drama”. Lecture 11. 14 July 2009. | Pankratz, Annette. “Restoration Comedy : Theatre and Drama”. Lecture 11. 14 July 2009. | ||
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rake_(character)] | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rake_(character)] | ||
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Revision as of 18:43, 22 July 2009
The generally negatively connotated term rake, an abbreviation of the original rakehell (which hints at certain “satanic” characteristics) refers to a fictional male stock character who through his lavish and immoral lifestyle of drinking, gambling, promiscuity and music loses his inheritance and gets into debt.
The Rake in Restoration Comedy
In early Restoration comedy, the rake is usually presented in comparatively positive terms as a witty, intelligent and charming cavalier and hero, who is a member of polite society. However, he is still a rather predatory and aggressive character, who follows his Hobbesian appetites by hunting for dominance and sex. While the rake usually has several sexual affairs during the play and is said to have had many affairs before, he traditionally vows faithfulness in the end of the play and gets married to a rich and virtuous heiress.
The Rakish Hero after 1700
Due to a general shift of morals in Restoration society beginning around 1700 and the gradual development towards sentimental comedy, the stage character of the rakish hero experienced a change towards a more moral, de-sexualized being.
Examples of Rake Characters in Restoration Comedy
Dorimant in George Etherege’s The Man of Mode (1676) Horner in William Wycherley’s The Country Wife (1675) Willmore in Aphra Behn’s The Rover (1677)
Sources
McMillin, Scott, ed. Restoration and Eigteenth-Century Comedy. New York: Norton,1973.
Pankratz, Annette. “Restoration Comedy : Theatre and Drama”. Lecture 11. 14 July 2009.