Dryden wrote this essay as a dramatic dialogue
with four characters Eugenius, Crites, Lisideius and Neander representing
four critical positions. These four critical positions deal with five
issues. Eugenius (whose
name may mean "well born") favors the moderns over the ancients, arguing
that the moderns exceed the ancients because of having learned and profited
from their example. Critics
argues in favor of the ancients: they established the unities;
dramatic rules were spelled out by Aristotle which the current-and
esteemed-French playwrights follow; and Ben Jonson-the greatest English
playwright, according to Crites-followed the ancients' example by adhering to
the unities. Lisideius
argues that French drama is superior to English drama, basing
this opinion of the French writer's close adherence to the classical separation
of comedy and tragedy. For Lisideius "no theater in the world has anything
so absurd as the English tragicomedy; in two hours and a half, we run through
all the fits of Bedlam." Neander
favors the moderns, but does not disparage the ancients. He also favors 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."
Neander
goes on to defend tragicomedy: "contraries, when
placed near, set off each other. A continued gravity keeps the spirit too much
bent; we must refresh it sometimes." Tragicomedy increases the
effectiveness of both tragic and comic elements by 'way of contrast. Neander asserts
that "we have invented, increased, -and perfected a more pleasant way of
writing for the stage . . . tragicomedy."
Neander criticizes French drama
essentially for its smallness: its pursuit of only one plot
without subplots; its tendency to show too little action; its "servile
observations of the unities…dearth of plot, and narrowness of imagination"
are all qualities which render it inferior to English drama. Neander extends his criticism of French
drama - into his reasoning for his preference for Shakespeare over Ben Jonson.
Shakespeare "had the largest and most comprehensive soul," while
Jonson was "the most learned and judicious writer which any theater ever
had." Ultimately, Neander prefers Shakespeare for his
greater scope, his greater faithfulness to life, as compared to Jonson's
relatively small scope and French/Classical tendency to deal in "the
beauties of a statue, but not of a Man."
Crites objects to rhyme in plays: "since
no man without premeditation speaks in rhyme, neither ought he to do it on the
stage." He cites Aristotle as saying that it is, "best to write tragedy in that kind
of verse . . . which is nearest prose" as a
justification for banishing
rhyme, from drama in favor of blank verse (unrhymed iambic
pentameter). Even though blank verse lines are no more spontaneous than are
rhymed lines, they are still to be preferred because they are "nearest
nature": "Rhyme is incapable of expressing the greatest thought
naturally, and the lowest it cannot with any grace: for what is more unbefitting
the majesty of verse, than to call a servant, or bid a door be shut in
rhyme?"
Neander respond to the objections against
rhyme by admitting that "verse
so tedious" is inappropriate to drama(and to anything
else). "Natural"
rhymed verse is, however, just as appropriate to dramatic as to non-dramatic
poetry: the test of the "naturalness" of rhyme
is how well-chosen the rhymes are. Is the sense of the verses tied down to, and
limited by, the rhymes, or are the rhymes in service to, and an enhancement of,
the sense of the verses?
Dryden prescriptive in nature, defines
dramatic art as an imitation with the aim to delight and to teach, and is
considered a just and lively image of human nature representing its passions
and humors for the delight and instruction of mankind. Dryden emphasizes the
idea of decorum in the work of art.
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