'Dryden's Essay On Dramatic Poesy'
This blog is in response to Bridge Course - Essay of Dramatic Poesie by John Dryden assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. John Dryden’s “An Essay on Dramatic Poesy” presents a brief discussion of the Neo-classical theory of Literature. He defends the classical drama saying that it is an imitation of life and reflects human nature clearly.
An Essay on Dramatic Poesy is written in the form of a dialogue among four speakers: Eugenius, Crites, Lisideius, and Neander. The four speakers are Sir Robert Howard [Crites], Lord Buckhurst or Charles Sackville [Eugenius], Sir Charles Sedley [Lisedeius], and Dryden himself (Neander means "new man" and implies that Dryden, as a respected member of the gentry class, is entitled to join in this dialogue on an equal footing with the three older men who are his social superiors). Eugenius favors the modern. Crites favors the ancients, blank verse French vs English. Lisideius Favours French drama. Neander favors the modern-English plays, rhyme.
Difference between Aristotle's definition of Tragedy and Dryden's definition of Play:-
Before we jump into the discussion of the difference between Aristotle's definition of Tragedy and Dryden's definition of Play, let's understand each of their Definitions.
According to Aristotle,
"Tragedy is an imitation [mimesis] of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude…through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation [catharsis] of these emotions.”
According to Dryden,
"A play ought to be a just and lively image of human nature, representing its passions and humors, and the changes of fortune to which it is subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind."
Aristotle and Dryden, we can say that both have in one way a similar opinion of the work of art when we took the first part of both definitions. And that is an Imitation of action and A just and lively image of human nature. Both have the same idea that it should be a presentation of human life. The second part of the definition of both is yes, same but while completing the second part, we must understand that Aristotle only defines Tragedy and Dryden defines Play in general. So both give the same idea. In the third part, there is an idea of instruction and delight. Aristotle's definition of Tragedy ended with the therapeutic word Catharsis while Dryden's definition of Play ended with delight and instructions.
By comparison, we can say that both have similar ideas but Dryden moves a step forward when he says it is for the delight and instruction of mankind.
Do you think that the arguments presented in favor of the French plays and against favorh plays are appropriate?
ANS:
Lisideius speaks in favour of the French. He agrees with Eugenius that in the last generation the English drama was superior. The French are superior to the Efavor for various reasons. One of them being they follow the Ancients. They favour the Unity of time and they observe it so carefully. When it comes to the Unity of Place, they are equally careful. In most of their plays, the entire action is limited to one place.
thate French do not burden the play with a fat plrepresent a story which will be one complete action, and everything which is unnecessary is carefully excluded. But the English burden their plays with actions and incidents which have no logical and natural connection with the main action so much so that an English play is a mere compilation. Hence the French plays are better written than the English ones.
It is wrong to believe that the he Frenselectionsent no part of their action on the stage. Instead, they make proper selection. Cruel actions which are likely to cause hatred, or disbelief by their impossibility, must be avoided or merely narrated. They must not be represented. The French follow this rule in practice and so avoid much of the tumult of the English plays by reducing their plots to reasonable limits. Such narrations are common in the plays of the Ancients and the great English dramatists like Ben Jonson and Fletcher. Thereforwell-managedh must not be blamed for their narration, which is judicious andl managed.
In short, the English drama has decayed and declined because they live in an awful age full of bloodshed and violence, and poetry is an art of peace. Thtoamas did not decline because they stick to the ancient unities. The English tried to do something new in order to differ from them.
If you are supposed to give your personal predilection, would you be on the sid,e of the Ancient or the Modern?
Ancients vs Moderns:
In Essay of Dramatic Poesy, Eugenius, Crites, Lisidius and all four present different opinions of Ancient and Modern plays, and French and English plays.If I am supposed to give my personal predilection I would be on the side of the Modern. I would also be in favour of the English plays.In Of Dramatic Poesy, Eugenius is in the defence of the Moderns.
"Moderns are standing on the shoulders of the Ancients. Modernity is always both a mixture of History as well as a new way of looking.
While thinking about the superiority of modern and ancient's playwrights or the plays, we should not underestimate the contribution of Ancients. As we all know that Ancients give us a way to look upon, they are pillars of the modern world. At the same time it is not right if we would say that ancients are the superior or Moderns are not. Because Moderns have both quality, adaption of Ancient tradition and Idea and power of Modern way of looking or we can say that they are mixture of Old and New ideology. We cannot ignore that all we have is because of Ancients but Moderns have their different way of looking with the new ideas towards life.
In the essay, Neander favours the moderns but does not underestimate the ancients. He also favours English drama and has some critical -things to say of French drama: "those beauties of the French poesy are such as will raise perfection higher where it is, but are not sufficient to give it where it is not: they are indeed the beauties of a statue, but not of a man.
So, for this reason I want to be on the side of Moderns. here's the video on- Dramatic Poesie by John Dryden which will help to understan the topic in detailed -video on Dramatic Poesie by John Dryden
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