George Farquhar

George Farquhar (1677^[1] – 29 April 1707) was an Irish dramatist. He is noted for his contributions to late Restoration comedy, particularly for his plays The Constant Couple (1699), The Recruiting Officer (1706) and The Beaux' Stratagem (1707).

^ The explanation for the dual birth year appears in Louis A. Strauss, ed., A Discourse Upon Comedy, The Recruiting Officer, and The Beaux' Stratagem by George Farquhar (Boston: D.C. Heath & Co., 1914), p. v. Strauss notes that "Our sole source of information as to the time of his birth is the entry of his matriculation in the register of Trinity College" on 17 July 1694, where "His age is given as 17." Earlier biographers took this to mean Farquhar was in his 17th year—hence born in 1678—and Strauss favors this date. But later writers, such as William Myers, ed., George Farquhar: The Recruiting Officer and Other Plays, ISBN 0-19-282249-7 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995), p. vii, give the dual year, and John Ross, ed., George Farquhar: The Recruiting Officer (New Mermaids), 2nd ed., ISBN 0-7136-3349-2 (London: A&C Black, 1991), p. xiii, gives a birthdate of "ca. 1677" for the playwright.