Charles II may have been King of England, but John Dryden was King of Restoration literature. He is, by far, the most important literary figure of the period. Not only was he a prolific writer who...

William Congreve is a super-important playwright of the Restoration period, and a disciple of John Dryden's. He is known for his comedies, which catered to the tastes of the time: bawdy and full of...

John Milton was a bit of an oddball during the Restoration age. That's because he stuck to his Puritanism and Republicanism at a time when politics and society were turning away from both. As we ca...

Not only was Aphra Behn one of the first professional women writers, she also worked as a spy for the British government. Whoa. Way to make Mata Hari look like a second-class wannabe, Aphra. Beside...

William Wycherley spent part of his life in France, and ended up being super-influenced by French literature (and probably was a member of the Big Wig Fan Club). Although he was supposed to train a...