Catharine Trotter and the Humane Libertine

Catharine Trotter and the Humane Libertine

Catharine Trotter's only comedy, Love at a Loss, or the Most Votes Carries It (1700), presents humane libertine heroines, ones that recall earlier Restoration characters but also anticipate the new era of sentimental comedy. Trotter suggests that women must conform to social norms to avoid publ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Studies in English literature, 1500-1900 Vol. 50; no. 3; pp. 583 - 599
Main Author: LINKER, LAURA
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press 01-06-2010
Subjects:
Comic theater
Congreve, William (1670-1729)
Females
Feminism
Heroism
Husbands
Libertine lifestyle
Love
Love relationships
Marriage
Men
Novels
Sympathy
Theater
Theology
Voting
Wives
Women
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Summary:Catharine Trotter's only comedy, Love at a Loss, or the Most Votes Carries It (1700), presents humane libertine heroines, ones that recall earlier Restoration characters but also anticipate the new era of sentimental comedy. Trotter suggests that women must conform to social norms to avoid public censure, particularly if they lose their chastity. Her play questions women's lack of agency, particularly after marriage, and reinforces the idea that women suffer for their sexual transgressions.
ISSN:0039-3657
1522-9270
1522-9270
DOI:10.1353/sel.2010.0008