George Farquhar is an Irish writer born in Derry, Ireland in 1677. At a young age, Farquhar demonstrated a natural capacity for writing. At 7 years, he was writing short stories and always thinking up ideas for a new play. After graduating grade school, he attended Foyle College to study English. However, before he flourished as a writer, he took a job as a stage actor. Unfortunately, during one show, Farquhar had one scene where we was supposed to stab another character, but instead of using a prop, he stabbed his co-actor with a real sword. This horrific event led him to quit acting for good.
In 1706, Farquhar wrote and published The Recruiting Officer, a satirical play that criticizes the immoral ways officers recruit people for the army. It exposes recruiting officers as people who manipulate others to sacrifice their lives for the “good” of a country. The beautiful combination of comedy and tragedy has allowed this play to endure throughout the centuries. The Recruiting Officer is a timeless piece that is still relevant in the present day.
