This papar examines the play "The Widow Ranter", which is set in the British
colony of Virginia where the action takes place
during the
rebellion of 1676 rebellion of Nathaniel Bacon against the then governor, William Berkeley. It looks at how Behn chooses to modify the actions and identities of the lead players in the rebellion that makes for an interesting analysis of the play and the fictional counterparts of Bacon and the governors of the
colony. It also explores how Behn's concern with masculinity is key to the construction of both the heroes and the authority figures and also to the depiction of the New World and the establishment of the beginnings of a capitalist society.