Libertine

A Libertine by definition is a man who "refuses to accept current beliefs and desires to free himself from the bonds of Christian doctrine" (WEBER: page??)

In Restoration Comedy the term is often used to describe a Rake.

The Libertine is also the name of a play by Molière from the year 1665.

The Libertine is also the title of a play by Thomas Shadwell also from 1665.

It is also the title of a play by Stephen Jeffreys (first performed in 1994) and the title of a movie starring Johnny Depp from 2004. Both deal with the life and times of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (more about the movie on the Discussion Board/e-cafe).

Sources

Weber, Harold. The Restoration Rake-Hero. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1986.