Analysis of The Essay of Dramatic Poesy part 8

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Crites begins his defence of the ancients by saying that the moderns simply imitate the ancients. The ancients are the established models for the moderns. Secondly the ancients had a special genius for drama. In this branch of poetry they attained perfection. Thirdly in the ancient times, the poets were highly praised and honoured for their dramatic work. This encouraged the poets. In the present time, says Crites that such praise and honour has vanished. This is the reason that the poets do not pay much attention to their work. They are more interested in disparaging the work of others. Other then this, the moderns have separated themselves from the nature which used to be such an essential part of the ancients. The moderns do not represent nature in a proper manner. Fourthly, the moderns have picked up all the rules of dramatic composition from the classics. They have added nothing of their own. The ancients observed the three unities of time, place and action. The unity of time means that the entire play should not exceed the duration of twenty four hours and the various acts should be divided into equal proportion. The unity of place means that the entire play should be carried out in the same scene and not in far off distant places. The French observed this unity but the English discarded it. The third is the unity of action. It means that there should be one great and complete action in the play. Fifthly the ancients wrote their plays superbly well. They perfected in play writing. Ben Johnson imitated the ancients.

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