Farquhar, George, 1677?-1707

Born in Northern Ireland, playwright George Farquhar was best known for his comic plays including The Constant Couple (1699) and The Recruiting Officer (1706). He died at the age of 29 only days after his successful play The Beaux' Stratagem premiered. Other plays, several of which are adaptations from the work of other authors, include Love and a Bottle (1698), Sir Harry Wildair (1701), The Stage-Coach (1702), The Inconstant (1702), and The Twin-Rivals (1702).

Falstaff, Sir John

A fictional knight appearing in three of Shakespeare's plays: King Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Sir John Falstaff is the friend of Prince Hal, the future King Henry V, and is characterized by his vanity and fatness. Falstaff spends much of his time drinking with petty criminals, and he largely lives off of stolen money. Although the character does not appear in the play, Falstaff's death at the Battle of Agincourt is mentioned in King Henry V.

Eurydice

In Greek myth, wife of Orpheus, who was killed by a snake. To rescue her, Orpheus descended into the underworld, but his efforts were foiled when he violated the conditions imposed on his success by looking back to reassure himself that his wife was still with him.