The Roles of Servant Characters in Restoration Comedy, 1660 - 1685

Scholarship that focuses on the role of servants in London comedies following the restoration of Charles II is almost non-existent even though servants appear in most every play written and produced during that period. Stage servants often serve as principle, essential characters who are pivotal to the action of the drama, and sometimes they are the star of the show, played by celebrity actors. Servant characters also serve to exemplify the frequently changing social mores and political issues of the period with their thoughtful observations and endeavors as they illustrate the innumerable themes about which scholars have written