What is Restoration comedy in literature?
Subsequently, question is, what is Restoration comedy discuss in detail? Restoration comedies are English plays written and performed between 1660 and 1710, the "Restoration" period. Also known as "comedy of manners" plays, these works are known for their risqué, explicit depictions of sex and extramarital affairs.
What are the main characteristics of Restoration comedy of manners?
It depicts the relations and intrigues of men and women belonging to polished section of society. Main characteristics of Restoration Comedy of Manners include a flamboyant display of witty, blunt sexual dialogue, boudoir intrigues, sensual innuendos and rakish behaviour.
What are some of the Best Restoration comedies?
List of Restoration comedies 1 Charles Sedley, The Mulberry-Garden (1668) and the racy Bellamira: or, The Mistress (1687) 2 George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, The Rehearsal (1671) 3 John Dryden, Marriage a la Mode (1672) 4 William Wycherley, The Country Wife (1675), The Plain Dealer (1676) More items...
Is'the Rover'a Restoration comedy?
Aphra Behn's The Rover, first produced in 1677, is one of the premiere examples of a Restoration comedy. Remember how we said that these comedies were especially sexually explicit? Well, that should be immediately apparent from this brief plot synopsis. So, here we go (send the kids out of the room if you're sensitive).
What is meant by restoration comedy?
"Restoration comedy" is English comedy written and performed in the Restoration period of 1660–1710. Comedy of manners is used as a synonym for this. After public stage performances were banned for 18 years by the Puritan regime, reopening of the theatres in 1660 marked a renaissance of English drama.
What are the types of Restoration comedy?
There are three types of comedies that were popular during the Restoration. These three types are: Humour, Manners, and Intrigue. Comedies of Humour were made popular by the Renaissance playwright and poet Ben Jonson earlier in the century.
What is the main theme of Restoration comedy?
One of the major themes of restoration comedy is marriage and the game of love. But if marriage is a mirror of society, the couples in the plays show something very dark and sinister about order.May 2, 2019
What are the main features of the comedy of manners?
comedy of manners, witty, cerebral form of dramatic comedy that depicts and often satirizes the manners and affectations of a contemporary society. A comedy of manners is concerned with social usage and the question of whether or not characters meet certain social standards.
What is the difference between Restoration comedy and comedy of manners?
The difference in one succinct statement is that 17th century Restoration comedies of manners were morally objectionable--and replaced by moral though unrealistic sentimental comedies--while the 18th century revival of comedies of manners were morally sound; the previous immorality had been eliminated.
Which of the following is a Restoration comedy?
Famous comedies from the era include William Wycherley's The Country Wife (1675), Aphra Behn's The Rover (1677) and George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer (1706). Well-known Restoration tragedies include Roger Boyle's The Black Prince (1667) and Thomas Otway's Venice Preserv'd (1682). The Rover (2016).
What are the features of Restoration period?
Characteristics of Restoration Period.... Social and Political Conflict. With the come – back of Charles II, England's social, political and religious tenets have transformed. ... Opening of Theaters. ... Rise of Neo-Classicism. ... Imitation of The Ancients. ... Realism. ... New Literary Forms.
What are the features of Restoration drama?
Restoration Literature CharacteristicsComedy of Manners. The Comedy of Manners is a theatrical genre that was uber-popular during the Restoration period. ... Satire. The Restoration writers couldn't get enough satire. ... Heroic Couplet. ... Social Life. ... Politics. ... Faith. ... Restoration of Monarchy. ... Rejection of Puritanism.More items...
Who wrote Restoration comedies?
Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726) was a remarkable man: an architect (he designed both Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard), a political activist, and a playwright, whose two Restoration comedies The Relapse and The Provoked Wife remain popular.
How is Restoration comedy best described?
Restoration comedies are English plays written and performed between 1660 and 1710, the "Restoration" period. Also known as "comedy of manners" plays, these works are known for their risqué, explicit depictions of sex and extramarital affairs.Mar 17, 2019
Who is the Restoration comedy dramatist model?
Answer. Explanation: Charles II was an active and interested patron of the drama. Soon after his restoration, in 1660, he granted exclusive play-staging rights, so-called Royal patents, to the King's Company and the Duke's Company, led by two middle-aged Caroline playwrights, Thomas Killigrew and William Davenant.Jan 8, 2020
Which drama is known as the comedy of manners?
A hundred years later, Irish playwright Richard Sheridan and Englishman Oliver Goldsmith revived the Comedy of Manners genre. The best examples of their work include Sheridan's The School for Scandal (1777) and Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer (1773).Jun 11, 2020
What was the period of restoration comedy?
The period of Restoration comedy marked a transformation in English arts in a lot of ways. During this time, the first professional actresses took the stage. Prior to that, there were men and boys cross-dressing to fill the female roles.
When did restoration comedy fade?
Restoration comedy faded in the early 18th century, though, and as we already mentioned, many of its more vulgar offenders weren't performed for over 100 years. Now many critics respect the works of the period for their humor and their ability to subvert the expected stereotypes.
Why was the Restoration period called the Restoration Period?
Cromwell banned public stage performances for 18 years. When Charles , who was a personal fan of the arts, was restored back to the monarchy in 1660, one of his first acts was to bring theater back. That's why it's known as the Restoration period - the Restoration era of theater.
Who wrote the Rover?
In particular, Aphra Behn made a large mark on the theatre during this time, and we're going to talk about a couple major works of Restoration comedy right now, including one of hers. Professional female playwright Aphra Behn wrote The Rover, a Restoration comedy.
Was Restoration comedies satirical?
Going hand-in-hand with that, Restoration comedies aren't really known for being satirical or overly critical of society, at least not in any obvious way.
What was the Restoration comedy called?
The continental influence was also strong; especially those of Moliere and Calderon. The Restoration comedy is called comedy of Manners as it presented the superficial habits and manners of only a section of the society – the elegant aristocracy with their vices, intrigues and outward glamour of polished behaviour.
What are the distinguishing characteristics of the Restoration comedy down to Congreve?
Dobree argued that the distinguishing characteristics of the Restoration comedy down to Congreve is that it is concerned with an attempt to rationalise sexual relationship. In spite of these criticism and condemnations it has to be admitted that the dramatists of the Restoration period reflected the manners and modes of the society courageously.
What are the names of the characters in the Manner Comedy?
There are sexually frustrated widows, bawds, country squires and fops with names like Sir Fopling Flutter, Colonel Bulley, Squire Sullen, Lady Bountiful and Sir John Brute. Restoration comedies dealt exclusively with the social elite and were town-based.
What are George Etherege's comedies?
His comedies are The Old Bachelor, The Double Dealer, Love for Love, The Way of the World. Congreve’s brilliance lies principally in depicting the cross-current of marital complications. George Etherege’s comedies blazed the track upon which Congreve ventured.
What genre of drama was popular during the Restoration Era?
Restoration Comedy. The drama, especially Comedy of Manners proved to be one of the most important genres in the Restoration Era. It started developing after reopening of the theatres in 1660. The cynical decadence of the age was alien to the spirit of the Elizabethan romantic comedy.
What are Farquhar's comedies?
Farquhar’s comedies include Love and a Bottle, The Constant Couple, The Beaux Stratagem etc. According to Charles Lamb “Restoration comedies are a world of themselves almost as much as fairy land.”. Macaulay severely criticised him.
Who were the playwrights who practiced the manners of the Restoration age?
The playwrights who practised the comedies of manners in the Restoration age were William Congreve, George Etherege, William Wycherley, Thomas Shadwell, Sir John Vanbrugh, and Fraquhar. Studying the social pressures on love and marriage with wit and subtlety Congreve shows himself the master of restoration comedy.
What is restoration comedy?
Restoration comedy tends to be overshadowed by the achievements of the Elizabethan era, but it merits our attention just the same. Although it may follow a prescribed set of conventions, within these rules it explores a range of challenging ideas that were highly topical in late 17th-century society.
How long did Restoration comedy last?
Restoration comedy was written and performed from about 1660 to 1700, flourishing in the period after the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy. Some 500 plays survive, though only a handful of them are performed today, and few playwrights have achieved lasting fame. Leading names include William Wycherley ( The Country Wife, 1675), ...
What is the rake in the Restoration?
The rake and his rivals. The rake was an invention of Restoration comedy. Seductive, witty and arrogant, he represented a flattering type of male prowess and drive, much admired in court circles.
What is the comedy of manners?
The comedy of manners. The comedy of manners was Restoration comedy’s most popular subgenre. Although they ultimately uphold the status quo, these plays scrutinise and ridicule upper-class society’s manners and rules of behaviour, providing an up-to-the-minute commentary on class, desire and the marriage market.
Why did playwrights sacrifice pace?
Playwrights would sacrifice pace to allow time for displays of wit between rivals aiming to cut each other down to size , or, more popular still, for the sparring, flirtatious wit between would-be lovers.
What happened at the end of Charles II's reign?
Towards the end of Charles II’s reign the atmosphere in London was rife with conspiracies, and theatres emptied, killing off the demand for new plays. When Charles died without a Protestant heir in 1685, three years of intense unrest followed as his Catholic brother James II tussled with Parliament for control of the country. James was deposed in a bloodless coup in 1688 (the so-called Glorious Revolution), and the nation welcomed William and Mary to reign as constitutional monarchs with greatly reduced powers.
Restoration comedy of Manners
The style of the Restoration drama suits the treatment. The dialogue is extremely witty and there is a constant tendency for neat speech. The prose is brilliant, deft, forcible, clear cut and precise, The style of Elizabethan drama, however, not always precise, neat and brilliant.
What is Restoration comedy
His contemporary, George Etherege (1635-91) was more successful. In him, we first look for the typical Restoration Comedy of Manners. Restoration comedy is nothing but a mocking image of a care-free life. Sir George Etheree is remembered today for his comedy The man of Mode or Sir Fopling Flutters.
What is Restoration comedy and the features of Restoration comedy
It was William Congreve (1670-1729) however, who excelled all the other comic dramatists as an exponent of the Comedy of Manners. His plots are meaninglessly involved, but he is remembered chiefly for the high quality of his dialogue. His preeminence as a dramatist was recognized by all his contest parties.
Restoration comedy Characteristics
Sir John Vanbrugh’s Comedies The Relapse (1696), The Provoked wife (1697) and the Unfinished Journey to London, show the Restoration Comic mode breaking down. He lacks the wit and poise of his great contemporary Congreve.
Characteristics
Theatres were closed during the Puritan Age. During the Restoration Age, they re-opened with new types of plays and performances which were different than the before.
Restoration Tragedy
If the age of Restoration (1660-1700) A.D. is one of the most splendid periods in the records of English Drama, it is on the account of Comedy of Manners. The so-called Heroic Tragedy which had a brief run concurrently with the Comedy of Manners had also a little of popularity, but was too unnatural and artificial and merely a type of French soil.
Overview
"Restoration comedy" is English comedy written and performed in the Restoration period of 1660–1710. Comedy of manners is used as a synonym for this. After public stage performances were banned for 18 years by the Puritan regime, reopening of the theatres in 1660 marked a renaissance of English drama. Sexually explicit language was encouraged by King Charles II (1660–1685) pers…
Theatre companies
Charles II was an active and interested patron of drama. Soon after his restoration in 1660 he granted exclusive staging rights, so-called Royal patents, to the King's Company and the Duke's Company, led by two middle-aged Caroline playwrights, Thomas Killigrew and William Davenant. The patentees scrambled for performance rights to the previous generation's Jacobean and Caroline play…
Actors
Restoration comedy was strongly influenced by the first professional actresses. Before the closing of the theatres, all female roles had been taken by boy players and the predominantly male audiences of the 1660s and 1670s were curious, censorious and delighted at the novelty of seeing real women engage in risqué repartee and take part in physical seduction scenes. Samuel Pepys refers many times in his diary to visiting the playhouse to watch or re-watch performances by pa…
Comedies
Variety and dizzying fashion changes are typical of Restoration comedy. Though the "Restoration drama" unit taught to college students is likely to be telescoped in a way that makes the plays all sound contemporary, scholars now have a strong sense of the rapid evolution of English drama over these 40 years and its social and political causes. The influence of theatre-company competition an…
After Restoration comedy
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the sexual frankness of Restoration comedy ensured that theatre producers cannibalised it or adapted it with a heavy hand, rather than actually performed it. Today Restoration comedy is again appreciated on stage. The classics – Wycherley's The Country Wife and The Plain-Dealer, Etherege's The Man of Mode, and Congreve's Love For Love and The Way of the World – have competition not only from Vanbrugh's The Relapse and The Pr…
List of Restoration comedies
• George Etherege – The Comical Revenge (1664), She Would If She Could (1668), The Man of Mode (1676)
• John Dryden – An Evening's Love (1668), Marriage a la Mode (1672)
• Charles Sedley – The Mulberry-Garden (1668), Bellamira: or, The Mistress (1687)
Film adaptations
• The Country Wife, starring Helen Mirren (1977)
See also
• Essay of Dramatick Poesie
• John Rich (producer)
• Restoration style