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Dramatic Poesy
Dramatic Poesy
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.
Thus for him, Elizabethans are superior because they have a variety of
themes, emotions, deviations, wit. They do not adhere to rules as well.
Thus their drama is really an imitation of life.
Lisideius speaks in favour of the French. The French are superior to the
English for various reasons:
Further, the French narrations are better managed and more skilful
than those of the English. The narration may be of two kinds. The
action of the play which is dull and boring, and is often not listened
to by the audience. The narration of things happening during the
course of the play. while French are able to avoid the representation
of scenes of bloodshed, violence and murder on the stage, such
scenes of horror and tumult has disfigured many English plays. In this
way, the French avoid much that is ridiculous and absurd in the
English plays.
The
and the others are merely introduced to set off that principal
character. But Lisideius does not support or favour this practice. In
the English plays, one character is more important than the others,
and quite naturally, the greater part of the action is concerned with
him. Since in real life it is not so it is only very proper and reasonable
that it should be so also in the drama. In French plays, v
Also, unlike in the English
plays in the French plays such narrations are made by those who are
in some way or the other connected with the main action.
According to him, the Classical drama is not divided into acts and also
lacks originality. Their tragedies are based on worn-out myths that
are already known to the audience and their comedies are based o
overused curiosity of stolen heiresses and miraculous restorations.
The classical drama also lacks affection. The Heroes of Homer were
lovers of appetite, food etc, while the modern characters of French
drama gave up everything (sleep, water and food) for the sake of love.
He said that, “they have alter'd the mode of it. Homer describ'd his
Heroes men of great appetites, lovers of beef broild upon the coals,
and good fellows; contrary to the practice of the French Romances,
whose Heroes neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, for love.”
Eugenius said Crites by suggesting that even if we do not know all the
contexts, good writing is always good, wit is always discernible, if
done well. He goes on to say also that while the Ancients portrayed
many emotions and actions, they neglected love, "which is the most
frequent of all passions" and known to everyone. He mentions
Shakespeare and Fletcher as offering "excellent scenes of passion."
Crites develops the main points in defending the ancients and raises
objections to modern plays.
According to Dryden,