Restoration Drama
British drama of the
Neoclassic
period is called "Restoration" drama because the theatres were
'restored'
in 1660 after having been closed for a period of eighteen years.
Developments in drama during the eighteenth century can be divided into
the periods from 1700-1750 and from 1750-end of the century. During the
first period, comedy underwent a moral shift toward less bawdy and, at
times, even moralistic and sentimentalized material, when compared to
plays
from the seventeenth century. Political commentary (usually through
satire
or farce) in the first half of the century was pronounced--so much so
that
Parliament passed in 1737 the Licensing Act, forcing playwrights to
have
their works approved by deputies of the Lord Chamberlain before these
dramas
could appear on stage. Drama in the second half of the 18th century
underwent
a shift toward the primary importance of the star actor, often to the
point
of eclipsing both play and playwright.
3
Types
of Restoration Comedy (1660-1720)
1. Critical
Comedy:
It tends to repress eccentricity, exaggeration, and deviation from
the norm. It wields the "sword of common sense" and contains humorous
types.
Underlying things is often a moral or a message.
2. "Free
Comedy":
We feel no superiority, and no moral is inculcated; we gain a
release from all things that appear to limit our powers; plays contain
no
valuations; since this world can afford to be careless, it can be
immoral.
3. Great Comedy:
Perilously near tragedy, the balance is so fine that it seems as
though it will topple over into the other form.
A
Limited
Selection of Eighteenth-Century Character Types
1. Gay couple:
that
pair in comedy who begin their relationship as antagonists
rather than collaborators, whose attraction for each other develops as
a
sprightly courtship game, and who (even when caught by love and about
to
be
married) still persist in seeming not to take their situation
seriously.
They often
reflect the real world of the play.
2. Fop: "coxcomb,"
"pie," "jay," would-be pretender to wit and fashion, man of mode,
affected speech and mannerisms; concerned about cravats, periwigs,
feathers,
and snuff-boxes; fawning, fluttering dandies; bandy-legged dancing
masters;
often speaks with French accent and ways, lisp affected for style.
3. Scandal monger:
the talk of the town, the gossiper.
4. Gallant:
clever man about town, libertine, lewd among gentleman friends, a
cuckold maker, galls the fools and would-be characters, sometimes called
beaux, has respect for ladies' honor and reputation.
5. Young lovers:
not too clever, not too stupid; often exist in a world apart from the
rest of the play.
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