The Beaux' Stratagem

Beaux' Stratagem, The (1707), a comedy by George Farquhar, first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London. Archer and Aimwell plan to entrap Dorinda, an heiress, into marrying Aimwell so that the two rakes may divide her dowry. Aimwell falls truly in love, whereupon Archer takes the money and separates from his friend. Foigard, actually an Irish priest called MacShane, is a sombre version of the stage-Irish stereotype.