Restoration Comedy - 1489 Words

Restoration Comedy Restoration Comedy refers to English Comedies written during the Restoration period from 1660-1710. The re-opening of the theatres in 1660 after public stage performances had been banned for 18 years by the Puritan regime signalled a renaissance of English drama. Restoration comedy is notorious for its sexual licentiousness, a quality encouraged by Charles II personally and by the rakish aristocratic ethos of his court. English Drama witnessed great changes during Charles II reign. Women were introduced on stage for the first time and they were paid for the same, and theatre as a mode of entertainment and recreation was made fairly accessible to all. As a result of which, the theatre productions received a†¦show more content†¦He refuses to buy into Angelicas self-deception and instead castigates her for the Vanity of that Pride, which taught you how to set such a Price on Sin (II.ii: 12-3). Especially with Angelica, his purpose is to reveal her illusions and hypocrisy. How ever, he doesnt practice deceit to reveal the same. This is probably because his goal is to have sex rather than to cuckold. Thus, the balance between sex and power in Willmores personality leans more towards the enjoyment of sex, and his manipulation extends only to the women in service of this goal. Willmore epitomizes the libertine ideal of sexual freedom. Hellena, the protagonist, exemplifies the independent and witty Restoration comic heroine, a suitable counterpart to her rake-hero Willmore. Independence of spirit is expressed rhetorically by many of the female characters but only Hellena does so through her use of wit. She resourcefully pursues Willmore and wins him. But even Hellena, the most independent and aggressive of Restoration heroines, cannot free herself from the social necessities of female chastity and conventional marriage. Thus, for all Restorartion women characters, increased awareness of and ability to talk about their respective situations does not translate into increased freedom to act. The backdrop to Restoration Comedies explains the recurrent themes running through the play, like those being of love, marriage, prostitution, etc. A good example of the same would be Aphra Behn’sShow MoreRelatedThe Roles Of The Human System Of Emotions1234 Words   |  5 Pageslike John Dryden and William Congreve to produce work for the stage, amongst the new work that was produced was the restoration comedy. The restoration comedy was seen as a particularly vulgar genre of dramatic writing for the stage, due to its characteristic sexual overtones and lack of moral retribution. It was especially troubling to members of the clergy that many restoration comedy narratives seemed to trivialize monogamous marriage through the glamorization of adulterous behavior. What made mattersRead MoreUsing the Plays â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing† and â€Å"the Rover†, Discuss and Compare Each Play’s Treatment of Women.1995 Words   |  8 Pagesdiscuss and compare each play’s treatment of women. The Renaissance comedy, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, written by Shakespeare in 1600 during the Elizabethan era, addresses male inconstancy and female persecution; how women are controlled by the prevailing patriarchal system. Hero, the conventional heroine, is a ‘shrinking violet’, who suffers character assassination through male actions. ‘The Rover’, written in 1677 for the Restoration society of Charles II where men were hedonistic, uncommitted andRead MoreMarriage in William Congreves Way of the World Essay1799 Words   |  8 Pagesa new kind of comedy, the comedy of manners exploded onto the English drama scene and remained the preferred style of theater for the rest of the century. The aim of these plays was to mock society, or rather to hold it up for scrutiny by those very people whose social world was being characterized on stage. The Way of the World reflects Congreves personal view of Restoration society and city life, full of its art ificiality, rigidity, and formality. As is typical of Restoration Theater, thisRead MoreShe Stoops to Conquer1720 Words   |  7 Pagesbefore taking up a life of writing in London. In 1761, he met Samuel Johnson, become an important member of his literary circle. He is best known for a comic novel, The Vicar of Wakefield, a poem about urbanization, The Deserted Village, and a stage comedy, She Stoops to Conquer. Goldsmith, by Joshua Reynolds, ca. 1773 By reputation, Goldsmith was brilliant but insecure, and well-meaning and good-natured, but often foolish or gauche in social situations. The Play’s the Thing . . . In manyRead MoreThe Tragedy Of A Tragic Hero1115 Words   |  5 Pagestragedies in which the main characters are everyday people who undergo disasters common to many. These are also called bourgeois tragedies. 5. Opera is a tragedy set to music. Comedy. The protagonist (hero or heroine) meets a with a happy end. Basic Ingredients of a Comedy †¢ Purpose: to amuse the viewer †¢ Problems facing the protagonist interesting to the viewer, but not threatening †¢ Subject: a somewhat realistic view of people’s lives, including the disparities betweenRead More She Stoops to Conquer Essay989 Words   |  4 PagesInn, The Mistakes of the Night (which became its subtitle), and The Belles Stratagem (Ferguson 26). One of the reasons that this comedy was such a hit was its departure from the high minded, more dramatic comedy of the day. Though the play does not rely solely on slapstick comedy, some of its best scenes are farcical. The play itself has been called a laughing comedy and many of the best comic moments are still as funny today as they were over 200 years ago (Danziger 57). Tying with Drydens AmphityronRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Restoration Period1631 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout history there have different styles of comedy that inherit different aspects of society during that time. During the Restoration period, there is one author who stands out from the rest and is known as the father of comedy of manners an d that author is Molliere. One of his most notable pieces of work was the Misanthrope; thats core principles are based on the comedy of manners.The fundamentals of the comedy of manners often have a multiple consistencies that are true to most plays writtenRead More Conventions Of Drama Essay1926 Words   |  8 Pagessociety. The society present during the time in which a play was written had a direct influence on the plot and characters. This is because drama is defined as a representation of life. Four plays which have been selected from Greek, Elizabethan, Restoration and Modern times can be analysed to show and represent the changes of drama. These plays are amp;#8220;Oedipus the King;, amp;#8220;Macbeth;, amp;#8220;The Way of the World; and amp;#8220;A Dollamp;#8217;s House;. The early origins ofRead MoreWilde as Parodist: a Second Look at the Importance of Being Earnest : a Review877 Words   |  4 Pagessocial hypocrisies of the upper-classes of the period (late-Victorian). Wilde was being satirical and paradoxical in his play to show the hypocrisy and entertain the viewers in a play that is still being repeated till today. It is a witty and amusing comedy which conveys real life everyday themes such as real love as opposed to selfish love, religion, marriage, being truthful and country life as opposed to city life. Richard Foster, author of â€Å"Wilde as Parodist: A Second Look at The Importance of BeingRead MoreConventions of Drama1980 Words   |  8 Pagessociety. The society present during the time in which a play was written had a direct influence on the plot and characters. This is because drama is defined as a representation of life. Four plays which have been selected from Greek, Elizabethan, Restoration and Modern times can be analysed to show and represent the changes of drama. These plays are #8220;Oedipus the King#8221;, #8220;Macbeth#8221;, #8220;The Way of the World#8221; and #8220;A Doll#8217;s House#8221;. The early origins