John Fletcher (1579–1625) was a
Jacobean playwright. Following
William Shakespeare as house playwright for the
King's Men, he was among the most prolific and influential dramatists of his day; both during his lifetime and in the early
Restoration, his fame rivaled Shakespeare's. Though his reputation has been far eclipsed since, Fletcher remains an important transitional figure between the Elizabethan popular tradition and the popular drama of the
Restoration.