Nathaniel Lee was a prominent English dramatist during the Restoration period. Known for his powerful and often bombastic tragedies, his works were very popular on the London stage in the late 17th century. His most famous play, 'The Rival Queens, or the Death of Alexander the Great,' held the stage for over a century. Despite his theatrical success, Lee's life was marked by periods of insanity, leading to his confinement in Bedlam for several years before his untimely death.