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Aphra Behn is born in Canterbury, England. Her date of birth is unknown. Her parents are Bartholomew Johnson Elizabeth Denham.
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As to our little knowledge of her childhood, all we know is her advancement in her education for being a girl at the time. Her education helped her learn different languages, one being french, which later helps her in the future.
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In her 20's she traveled to Suriname with her family. During her stay she met enslaved Africans Indigenous people- this is how her novel Oroonoko was born.
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She then returns to England, but during her voyage her father unfortunately passes away. later on she began her life as a lady-in-waiting to the wealthy.
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In 1665 Aphra marries Johan or also known as James. He was a German merchant, unfortunatly he dies right after in 1666 leaving her widowed.
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In 1666 after her husbands death, she becomes a spy for King Charles II during the 2 Anglo-dutch war. The mission later fails causing her to go back to London with no income but with royal connections.
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She later on begins to get active in playwrights, this was a time when woman were first allowed on stage.
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She debuted her first play called The Forc'd Marriage in Duke's Theatre, London. This made her one of the first English woman to earn a living with a playwright.
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Her second play The Amorous Prince gets her to gain attention for her humor and her independent female charcters.
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Her third play was a comedy set during wartime but was criticized for the bold female roles.
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Her fourth play, The Rover was her most famous play and was produced by the Duke's company. This play was celebrated for the clever dialogue.
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Her fifth play, Sir Patient Fancy was a comedy play mocking marriage and greed. This play makes her become known as a bold and controversial playwright.
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Her sixth play, the Feigned Courtesans was a comedy about disguising themselves to escape their unwanted marriages. this helps bring back her feminist themes.
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In England they experienced the exclusion crisis, Behn defends King Charles II in her writing.
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Her seventh play, The City Heiress was another hit play about defending the king
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Behn continues writing but begins suffering from poor health and is starting to face financial troubles.
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In 1688 she publishes her famous prose work, Oroonoko. It's a story of an enslaved African prince who is betrayed by europeans.
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King James is overthrown, making William Mary take charge. This is important because it ended Behns Royal support.
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Aphra Behn dies in April 1689 due to illness. She was buried in Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner , which was a rare honor for a woman at the time.
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Her Legacy was or still is seen as the first woman to make an earning with her own ideas as a groundbreaking writer. Writers like Virginia Woolf and Elizabeth Barrett Browning later on praise her for her courage.
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