Susanna Centlivre’s The Beau’s Duel; or, A Soldier for the Ladies (1702)

The Beau’s Duel; or, A Soldier for the Ladies (1702) is Susanna Centlivre’s first comedy. It premiered soon after Queen Anne’s coronation amid preparations for the War of the Spanish Succession. This work features many of the elements of Centlivre’s skillful playwriting that would later establish her as one of the most popular dramatists through to the nineteenth century. This critical edition offers a modernised text with annotations and an introduction that looks at the play in its social, historical, and dramatic context.

Before the play begins, Clarinda and Colonel Manly have been courting for some time. Despite initially approving the match, Clarinda’s father Careful has now agreed to give her hand in marriage to the fop Sir William Mode. The play follows the couple’s attempts at outwitting both men as well as overcoming misunderstandings with the aid of Clarinda’s cousin Emilia, Manly’s friends Toper and Captain Bellmein along with the captain’s reformed mistress Mrs Plotwell.