The Mad Lover, a Tragi-Comedy
 The Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (3 of 10)

by Francis Beaumont

"The Mad Lover, a Tragi-Comedy" by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher is a tragicomedy written between 1616-1619. The play explores melancholia and madness through the story of Memnon, a general suffering from depression over unrequited love. His companions stage an elaborate masque featuring dancing beasts and trees—all formerly foolish lovers—in an attempt to cure his affliction. Drawing on the myth of Orpheus, the play exemplifies Fletcher's era's fascination with using music and theatrical spectacle to treat disorders of the mind and heart.