ABSTRACT
It has been argued that to dismiss Durfey's intrigue comedies as formula pieces would be unjust. Each has some distinguishing variant - a libertine heroine in Madam Fickle, closure refused in A Fond Husband, in Squire Oldsapp proto-feminism. In the plays after the late 1680s there are also elements which separate them, despite their generic similarity, from other plays by Durfey or other writers. One is a dramatic interest, rather than a moralistic interest, in reforming comedy: more on this in a moment. Another is Durfey's increasing interest in trying out further experiments in musical drama. Neither feature is a new phenomenon but what is new is their prominent role in Durfey's later drama.
