The Scornful Lady

The Scornful Lady is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy written by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. Fletcher remains an important transitional figure between the Elizabethan popular tradition and the popular drama of the Restoration Period. Beaumont's collaboration with Fletcher began as early as 1605. Both playwrights had failures early in their dramatic careers. Their collaborations were very successful and were the first dramas in the genre of tragicomedy. The Scornful Lady exploits the idea of a woman who wants her beloved to duel with and kill his closest friend.