The Younger Brother, or, The Amorous Jilt

The old but wealthy Lady Youthly is due to marry George, an impoverished younger brother. George's father, Sir Rowland, is due to marry Lady Youthly's granddaughter, Tereisa. Mirtilla is the 'amorous jilt' of the title. She previously dropped George in order to marry the wealthy Sir Morgan Blunder. She has an affair with George's friend Prince Frederick, and also pursues a young page (in reality the page is George's sister Olivia disguised as a boy). In the end, Prince Frederick gives Mirtilla an alibi and returns her to Sir Morgan, who agrees to let the Prince visit her in the future. The play concludes with a wedding between George and Tereisa, and a celebratory dance. == Reception ==

The Younger Brother is in some respects a conventional romantic comedy. However, Peggy Thompson calls the play Behn's "bleak final vision" about the lot of women, saying that "the final lines remind us that the weddings in this play also mark the triumph of a patriarchal, objectifying system: George gloats that his 'younger Brother's share is one that's Rich, Witty, Young and Fair'". ==References==