Publisher's Synopsis
Emperor of the Moon is a play written by Aphra Behn, a prominent female playwright of the Restoration era. The play is set in London in the late 17th century and revolves around the story of a wealthy merchant named Mr. Swallow, who is obsessed with astrology and the moon. Mr. Swallow's daughter, Belinda, is in love with a young man named Harlequin, but her father disapproves of the match.Meanwhile, a group of charlatans has convinced the gullible Mr. Swallow that they are ambassadors from the Emperor of the Moon and have come to visit Earth. The charlatans use their supposed authority to manipulate Mr. Swallow and his household, leading to a series of comic misunderstandings and mishaps.As the story unfolds, the true nature of the charlatans is revealed, and Mr. Swallow must confront his own gullibility and the consequences of his actions. The play explores themes of love, deception, and the dangers of blindly following authority. It is a satirical and witty work that showcases Behn's skill as a playwright and her unique perspective as a woman writing during a male-dominated era.She who by Nature's light and wavering. The Town contains not such a false Impertinent. This Evening I surpris'd her in her Chamber Writing of Verses, and between her Lines, Some Spark had newly pen'd his proper Stuff. Curse of the Jilt, I'll be her Fool no more.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
