Title: Witlings
Subtitle: and, The woman-hater
First published: 1995
Description: "This Broadview edition pairs two of Frances Burney's linked comedies. They both present the character of Lady Smatter, a "femme savante" whose lineage may be traced back to Moliere; they both centre on the misfortunes of the "elle" figure, the dispossessed heiress and wife who appears frequently in Burney's fiction; and they both criticize a culture of misogyny that breeds suspicion and resentment.

The Witlings, lighter and more comic, derives from late seventeenth-century conventions; The Woman-Hater, more melodramatic, both expresses and warns against the excessive sensibility of romanticism. Together, these two plays constitute a miniature history of English drama from the Restoration to the French Revolution and beyond.".

"This edition contains a valuable selection of appendices, including: Burney's "Epilogue to Gerilda"; letters and diary entries; contemporary writings on comedy; and Burney's cast-list for The Woman-Hater."--BOOK JACKET.
Subjects: Drama, Women intellectuals, Literature, Societies, Misogyny, Man-woman relationships, British and irish drama (dramatic works by one author), Satire, Drama (dramatic works by one author), Man-woman relationships--drama, Women intellectuals--drama, Literature--societies, etc, Literature--societies, etc--drama, Misogyny--drama, Pr3316.a4 w58 2002, 822/.6, Criticism and interpretation