Introduction to the Essay of Dramatic Poesy
‘The Essay of Dramatic Poesy’ (1665) by John Dryden is a major critical work. It deals with the two controversies prevalent at that time (i) Regarding the comparative superiority of the ancients and the moderns. (ii) Regarding the comparative success of using blank verse over rhyme for dramatic purposes. ‘The Essay of Dramatic Poesy’ covers five critical questions. (i) Whether the ancients were superior to the moderns or vice versa. (ii) Whether the French school of drama was superior or inferior to the English school of drama. (iii) Whether the Elizabethan dramatists were superior or inferior to the dramatists of Dryden’s own time. (iv) Whether the plays which conform to the ancients rules are more perfect. (v) Whether the substitution of rhyme for blank verse is an improvement in the plays.
‘The Essay of Dramatic Poesy’ is Dryden’s most ambitious critical document and a very important piece of literary work. The essay is in the form of a lively dialogue among four friends Crites, Eugenius, Lisideius and Neander who respectively stand for Sir Robert Howard, Lord Buckhurst, Sir Charles Sedley and Dryden himself. They discuss the merits of ancient drama, modern (Restoration) drama, the neo classical French drama and the drama of the last age (the age of Shakespeare). Crites pleads the cause of the ancients, Eugenius stands for the moderns, Lisideius supports the French drama while Neander vindicates the honour of the English dramatists and is full of praise for Shakespeare, Beaumont, Fletcher and Ben Johnson. He also speaks about the superiority of rhyme over blank verse in dramatic form. The name Neander used by Dryden for himself stands for ‘new man’. The entire conversation is presented in a brilliant logical manner. Dryden’s method of presenting his views in the form of a conversation was very unique because it gave him the opportunity to present the merits and demerits of various forms of drama without giving a final verdict. Dryden leaves the work of decision making to the readers.
Dryden’s aim of writing the treatise was to make the people of his time accept the changes which were happening in the dramas. The thing which baffled him most was how to adapt the classical rules of drama in the modern time. He was not a dogmatic in his approach and left it to the readers to form their own conclusions.
Dryden was not a propagandist but a man of common sense. This is the reason of the popularity of the essay. The language of the essay is forceful and vigorous which makes it one of the most pleasing piece of critical work.
The essay begins in a dramatic manner with picturesque surroundings set against the symbolic background of the naval battle fought between the British and the Dutch in 1665. Dryden believed that the writers, reader and the society are related to each other. These three decide the fate of a literary work. What was liked by the Greeks may not be liked by the English. In this respect, Dryden is more liberal than Sydney or Ben Johnson or any of the continental neo-classical critic. Another quality of the essay is pointed out by Saintsbury. Dryden at the time of his writing of the essay had not read much. Hence he was not tempted to add quotations and comments. Though Dryden confessed in his later essay that in his essay of dramatic poesy there was much that was borrowed.
‘The Essay of Dramatic Poesy’ is a remarkable work of criticism. Nicol Smith rightly observes that if Dryden had written only this essay than this work alone would have made him one of the great critics. The essay is progressive in nature. The conversation among the four friends in the essay is lively and the reader does not feel bored for a single moment.
‘The Essay of Dramatic Poesy’ is Dryden’s most ambitious critical document and a very important piece of literary work. The essay is in the form of a lively dialogue among four friends Crites, Eugenius, Lisideius and Neander who respectively stand for Sir Robert Howard, Lord Buckhurst, Sir Charles Sedley and Dryden himself. They discuss the merits of ancient drama, modern (Restoration) drama, the neo classical French drama and the drama of the last age (the age of Shakespeare). Crites pleads the cause of the ancients, Eugenius stands for the moderns, Lisideius supports the French drama while Neander vindicates the honour of the English dramatists and is full of praise for Shakespeare, Beaumont, Fletcher and Ben Johnson. He also speaks about the superiority of rhyme over blank verse in dramatic form. The name Neander used by Dryden for himself stands for ‘new man’. The entire conversation is presented in a brilliant logical manner. Dryden’s method of presenting his views in the form of a conversation was very unique because it gave him the opportunity to present the merits and demerits of various forms of drama without giving a final verdict. Dryden leaves the work of decision making to the readers.
Dryden’s aim of writing the treatise was to make the people of his time accept the changes which were happening in the dramas. The thing which baffled him most was how to adapt the classical rules of drama in the modern time. He was not a dogmatic in his approach and left it to the readers to form their own conclusions.
Dryden was not a propagandist but a man of common sense. This is the reason of the popularity of the essay. The language of the essay is forceful and vigorous which makes it one of the most pleasing piece of critical work.
The essay begins in a dramatic manner with picturesque surroundings set against the symbolic background of the naval battle fought between the British and the Dutch in 1665. Dryden believed that the writers, reader and the society are related to each other. These three decide the fate of a literary work. What was liked by the Greeks may not be liked by the English. In this respect, Dryden is more liberal than Sydney or Ben Johnson or any of the continental neo-classical critic. Another quality of the essay is pointed out by Saintsbury. Dryden at the time of his writing of the essay had not read much. Hence he was not tempted to add quotations and comments. Though Dryden confessed in his later essay that in his essay of dramatic poesy there was much that was borrowed.
‘The Essay of Dramatic Poesy’ is a remarkable work of criticism. Nicol Smith rightly observes that if Dryden had written only this essay than this work alone would have made him one of the great critics. The essay is progressive in nature. The conversation among the four friends in the essay is lively and the reader does not feel bored for a single moment.
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