The Restoration period began in 1660, when Charles II was restored to the English throne. During the period between the execution of his father (1649), King Charles I, and Charles II’s arrival, England had suffered a literary stagnation. Various republic governments that imposed their restrictive and Puritan views upon its people ran the country. France and the Spanish Netherlands (two popular destinations for exiled Royalists) were quite different at the time; however, and during his exile, Charles II’s exposure to these booming literary cultures, lead him to develop a passion for French and Spanish plays. He also became interested in Roman Catholicism, and was known to be mostly tolerant of those whose’ political and religious views differed from that of the royal court. With an open mind and a personal interest in the restoration of literature throughout England, Charles II had a profound influence on the direction of pros during that time.

One of the first goals that Charles II set for himself was to reopen theaters and grant letter patents in order to establish new acting companies, the most famous of which were the King’s Company and the Duke of York’s theater company. The productions were mostly known for actor-driven “talk” drama and Restoration comedy. Actors were strong and insisted on productions that highlighted dialogue and literary quality. Although Restoration Comedy came in many different forms, it was often witty, cynical, and contained coarse language (Plant).

The works seemed to mirror the aristocratic society and the actual manners of the times. For example, Morrah posits that Charles II was greatly influenced by the French Court of Louis XIV and wanted to emulate that same elegance and sophistication within his own court (40-44). Burns suggests that many of the famous playwrights (e.g., Congrave, Etherege, and Vanbrugh) of the time were closely associated with the Court, which led them to recreate accurate representations of the society within the plays (19). There appeared to be an emphasis on love, wit, art, and fashion. Additionally, Charles II often attended the plays, which brought along quite a following of his entourage. Not only did the aristocrats regard the theaters as a place to see and be seen, but they also served as settings to pursue sexual intrigues (Morrah, 108).

Charles II was also a well-known womanizer and had many mistresses and “his followers emulated him with enthusiasm (Hume, 145).” In fact, a number of actresses became involved with playwrights and even with Charles II himself. Freedom of sexual expression was vast and women were encouraged to openly display their sexual needs and desires. This is not to say that he looked down upon women or thought them to be lesser; conversely, this was the first time that female actresses were allowed on stage (Morrah, 108). Although they did not enjoy the same status as men, women (such as the famous Aphra Ben and Charlotte Charke) also began to emerge as playwrights.

While the Restoration period was relatively short-lived (~1660-1682), it was undoubtedly a pivotal time for the reemergence of literature within England, especially given the turbulent times prior (during the Civil War) and those that followed towards the end of the period, with the arrival of James II. Considering the strict and conservative views of the Interregnum, it is amazing that such a drastic turn in history was able to take place, one whose’ effects can be seen in literature today.