Virtue's an Ass: When Being Bad is Really Good

Abstract

When Charles II assumed the title of King of England in 1660, he ushered in an era whose spirit was as liberal as the previous years under the puritanical Commonwealth had been oppressive. Theater,rigidly controlled under Cromwell, flourished into a popular entertainment industry whose plays were notable not only for their political and social relevance but also for the extent of their debauchery.