Restoration Comedy Shortly after the glory days of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre, a Puritanical movement led by Oliver Cromwell gained control of Parliament Cromwell ethics did not extend to cover the moral extravagance of theatre. Under the guise of public health and safety, Parliament ordered the closing of all theatres on September 2, 1642 Such dirty public areas were the perfect breeding ground for the spreading of plague. Actors were left with two options, join Charles I …showed first 75 words of 829 total…

…showed last 75 words of 829 total…language, but with it the Restoration effectively came to an end. Theatre is a constantly evolving entity. It cannot be destroyed, as Cromwell wished, but it also cannot run wild for long. It is a force of society, both reflecting and creating the way of the world. The Commonwealth and Restoration will always stand as examples of the power this art form holds. Some fear it, some revel in it, but everyone feels its impact.