The Lady of Pleasure by James Shirley
"The Lady of Pleasure" by James Shirley is a comedy written in the early 17th century. The play explores themes of social status, desire, and the complexities of marriage, centering around the characters Aretina and Sir Thomas Bornwell. Aretina's longing for the pleasures of city life contrasts with her husband’s attempts to curtail her extravagant lifestyle, leading to conflicts that reveal the tensions of their relationship." "The opening of the play introducesAretina, who expresses her dissatisfaction with the dullness of country life compared to the delights of London. Her conversation with her steward reflects her desire for a life filled with fashion, socializing, and pleasure. Soon after, her husband Sir Thomas enters, and their dialogue unveils a dynamic struggle between Aretina's aspirations for luxury and his concerns over their expenses and reputation. The early interactions set the stage for a comedic exploration of love, social expectations, and the coexistence of personal freedoms within the confines of marriage." (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Shirley, James, 1596-1666 |
|---|---|
| Title | The Lady of Pleasure A Comedie, as It Was Acted by Her Majesties Servants, at the Private House in Drury Lane |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Pleasure |
| Note | Reading ease score: 78.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Credits | E-text prepared by David Starner, Moti Ben-Ari, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by HathiTrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org/digital_library) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | Comedy plays |
| Subject | English drama -- 17th century |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 45050 |
| Release Date | Mar 1, 2014 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 203 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
