Flowers laid upon a grave in Westminster Abbey signify a rare achievement for a woman of the seventeenth century: the successful navigation of a professional literary career. Operating under the pastoral pseudonym Astrea, this writer functioned as a playwright, translator, and novelist, effectively securing a place in history as one of the first English women to sustain herself through publication.
Early Obscurity and Political Espionage
Born in Canterbury in 1640, the details surrounding her formative years remain elusive, obscured by conflicting historical accounts and the author’s own secrecy. Records link her existence to various familial origins, including the possibility of a childhood spent in the English colony of Surinam. Her professional life eventually intersected with state intelligence, as she served King Charles II as a spy in Antwerp before returning to London to pursue a career in the theater.
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Transitioning from intelligence work to the stage, she became a prominent figure in the Restoration era. She authored numerous successful plays, including The Rover, Abdelazer, The City Heiress, The Emperor of the Moon, and The Feign'd Curtizans. These works navigated the complex social and political climate of the period, often engaging with the turbulent tensions surrounding the Exclusion Crisis.
Literary Legacy and Prose
Following legal difficulties arising from her political commentary, she redirected her output toward prose and translation. Her narrative work, particularly the novel Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave and the epistolary collection Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister, gained significant attention. She refused to write welcoming verses for the accession of William III, maintaining a staunch loyalty to the Stuart line until her death in London in 1689.
Fast facts
- Born: 1640, Canterbury
- Died: 1689, London
- Burial place: Westminster Abbey
- Known alias: Astrea
- Primary occupations: writer, poet, playwright, translator, novelist
- Key novel: Oroonoko
- Key play: The Rover
Questions readers ask
Was Aphra Behn formally educated?
Evidence suggests she relied on self-tuition, as formal education for women was uncommon and often considered taboo during the seventeenth century.
Where is Aphra Behn buried?
She is interred in the East Cloister of Westminster Abbey, located near the steps leading into the church.
Achievements
- Notable work: Oroonoko
- Notable work: The Forc'd Marriage
- Notable work: The Dutch Lover
- Notable work: Abdelazer
- Genres: epistolary fiction and romance
