Aphra Behn stars in the canon of English literature as the first known English woman to earn her living by the pen. She is famous for her prose work OROONOKO (1688) and for her comic Restoration dramas such as THE ROVER (1681) and THE LUCKY CHANCE (1686). THE FORC’D MARRIAGE, her first play, was produced in 1671, and its witty and vivacious style was typical of her work. THE ROVER, produced in two parts, was a highly successful depiction of the adventures of a small group of English Cavaliers in Madrid and Naples during the exile of Charles II. Among her sources was the Italian commedia dell' arte (improvised comedy), which she used in her farce EMPEROR OF THE MOON (1687), forerunner to the modern-day pantomime. In her time she was a popular celebrity who caused something of a stir due to her independence as a professional writer and her concern for equality between the sexes.
