AT: After the Restoration, the Comedy of Manners took over as the dominant form of drama, so theater began to focus more on language and wit and there was less brute physicality. Think about the precursors to the Oscar Wilde-type play, where it's all about the aristocracy sitting around pontificating about how wealthy and bored they are. Throw some torture in there and it just wouldn't work.

THC: Was there a definite ending point for stage torture or was it more of a gradual transition?

AT: It was a gradual transition. The Restoration comedies were very different than the Restoration tragedies. You can already see in them the beginnings of the Comedy of Manners. The comedy vein of Restoration drama just seemed to last longer than the tragedy vain, which simply lost popularity and died off. If you've seen the stage rack once or twice or ten times, it loses its effectiveness whereas each witty language play is quite different and can keep your interest longer.

THC: Was there any force after the Restoration that fulfilled the social need--if in fact there is one--to see staged depictions of violence?

AT: Well, the stage itself became very different after the Restoration. Instead of these big public arenas for all the classes, it was removed into the wealthy homes. Lord and Lady So-and-So would decide to have a play put on in their home, and they probably didn't want the stage rack dragged into their living room.