George Farquhar (1677-1707) was the last of the Restoration dramatists. He achieved early success with The Constant Couple. In his final plays, The Recruiting Officer and The Beaux’ Stratagem, he developed a new type of character, more human and attractive than most creations in Restoration comedy. In this 1966 study, A. J. Farmer argues that it is Farquhar’s highly individual personality, ‘with its never-failing gaiety and verve’ which merits him ‘a place to himself […] among the brilliant company of Restoration playwrights’.

A volume in the Writers and Their Work series, which draws upon recent thinking in English studies to introduce writers and their contexts. Each volume includes biographical material, an examination of recent criticism, a bibliography and a reappraisal of a major work by the writer.