Tropes of monstrosity, madness, venereal disease, incest and atheism define a group of macabre plays which burst onto the London stage in the 1670s. Dubbed the ?horror? or the ?blood and torture villain tragedies? by modern critics, these deeply unsettling plays fascinated contemporary audiences. Hermanson's study marks the first comprehensive investigation of the plays, examining them in light of significant changes to theatrical practice as well as the endemic civil conflict of the time.