Editing Playwright (section)

=== Medieval ===
There were also a number of secular performances staged in the Middle Ages, the earliest of which is ''The Play of the Greenwood'' by [[Adam de la Halle]] in 1276. It contains satirical scenes and [[Folk culture|folk]] material such as [[faeries]] and other supernatural occurrences. [[Farce|Farces]] also rose dramatically in popularity after the 13th century. The majority of these plays come from France and Germany and are similar in tone and form, emphasizing [[sex]] and bodily excretions.<ref>Brockett and Hildy (2003, 96)</ref>

The best known playwright of farces is [[Hans Sachs]] (1494–1576) who wrote 198 dramatic works. In England, [[The Second Shepherds' Play]] of the [[Wakefield Cycle]] is the best known early farce. However, farce did not appear independently in England until the 16th century with the work of [[John Heywood]] (1497–1580).

Playwright [[William Shakespeare]] remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted. Most playwrights of the period typically collaborated with others at some point, as critics agree Shakespeare did, mostly early and late in his career.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thomson |first=Peter |title=Shakespeare: An Oxford Guide |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-19-924522-2 |page=49 |chapter=Conventions of Playwriting}}</ref> His plays have been [[List of translations of works by William Shakespeare|translated]] into every major [[Modern language|living language]] and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Craig |first=Leon Harold |title=Of Philosophers and Kings: Political Philosophy in Shakespeare's Macbeth and King Lear |date=2003 |publisher=[[University of Toronto Press]] |isbn=978-0-8020-8605-1 |location=Toronto |page=3}}</ref>

In England, after the [[Interregnum (British Isles)|interregnum]], and [[Restoration (England)|Restoration]] of the [[monarchy]] in 1660, there was a move toward neoclassical dramaturgy. Between [[Stuart Restoration|the Restoration]] of the monarchy in 1660 and the end of the 17th century, classical ideas were in vogue. As a result, critics of the time mostly rated Shakespeare below [[John Fletcher (playwright)|John Fletcher]] and Ben Jonson.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Grady |first=Hugh |title=The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare. Cambridge |date=2001 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-139-00010-9 |pages=269 |chapter=Shakespeare criticism, 1600–1900}}</ref> This period saw the first professional woman playwright, [[Aphra Behn]].

As a reaction to the decadence of Charles II era productions, [[sentimental comedy]] grew in popularity. Playwrights like [[Colley Cibber]] and [[Richard Steele]] believed that humans were inherently good but capable of being led astray.<ref name="Campbell">{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=William |title=Sentimental Comedy in England and on the Continent |url=http://www.bartleby.com/220/0402.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402100336/http://www.bartleby.com/220/0402.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=28 February 2015 |website=The Cambridge History of English and American Literature}}</ref><ref name="Harman">{{cite book |last1=Harman |first1=William |title=A Handbook to Literature |date=2011 |publisher=Longman |isbn=978-0205024018 |edition=12}}</ref>