Introduction 1
0.1 The Historical Context of Restoration Comedies and the Rake-Hero 2
0.2 Literature Review 9
0.3 Rake-Hero and Sovereignty 18
0.4 The Argument and Structure of the Dissertation 27
Chapter One The Rake-Hero and Libertinism：The Political Predicament of Royal Sovereignty 31
1.1 Rake-Hero and Patriarchalism：Illegitimacy of Royal Sovereignty 37
1.2 Rake-Hero and Fashion：Theatricality of Royal Sovereignty 47
1.3 Rake-Hero and Misogyny：Ineffectiveness of Royal Sovereignty 58
Chapter Two The Generic Tension between the Rake-Hero and Comedy：The Legal Embarrassment of Absolute Sovereignty 68
2.1 Rake-Hero in Generic Disguise：Threat of Absolute Monarchy 75
2.2 Rake-Hero Spoiling the Comic：Deinstitutionalizing the Institution of Political Absolutism 85
2.3 Rakishness Resulted from Monopoly Generic Discourse：Reprimand of Political Absolutism 93
Chapter Three The Rake-Hero Reformed：The Endorsement of Contracted Sovereignty 104
3.1 Gentry Rival of Rake-Heroes：New Attributes of Governorship 112
3.2 Rake-Hero Contracted：Legal Settlement of Sovereignty 122
3.3 A New Rake-Hero：Confidence in Political Reforms 132
Conclusion 142
Bibliography 147