Introduction:
In this blog I have shared my understanding of dryden essay on dramatic posey. First of all I wrote about why dryden is known as the father of English criticism.and several other questions.
Dryden:Father of English criticism
Here in our part we have a talking session on the dryden dramatic poesy. In the session the speaker talks about what is meant by father, so a father means one who originally propagates in a particularly sustained manner before drying. There is a Philip Sidney English tradition.
Dryden has quite more after Aristotle dryden has given readers a very formed definition of a play besides dramatic poetry. He has quite a few other preface and critical writing which gives the position of father of criticism to dryden.
How dryden is neo classical critic?
He is a neoclassical critic because he is influenced by classical critics like Aristotle. Dryden is showing how he is Influenced by Aristotle with his definition of tragedy. Definition can be broken up in three parts
(1)A lively image of human nature.
(2)Representing passion and humour
(3)for delight and instruction of mankind
In the definition of dryden there is a word image. Image doesn't seem to be bothered to dry. Because dryden thought that if it is just.and here the readers got the second important word just. In the word just image the readers and viewers might not be interested, so dryden put here the third word lively. So the readers got full words like Just lively image.
How dryden differs from the classical tradition
So it can be argued that Aristotle ended his definition with the tharpatic word catharsis when the definition of dryden ends with delight and instruction of mankind. So by that point dryden became different from the classical critic or Poets of classical tradition.
Two prime questions whether dryden is critic or a poet?
In the next part speakers talks about
two prime questions: Dryden as a poet and Dryden as a critic. And the second question is why Dryden chose Dramatic poetry as the title of his critical work. There are two types of writer..
Mixture of classicism and Romanticism
Some are conservative and blind imitators of Horace and Aristotle
Some are looking for the french influence
Dryden who not only takes the good things from neoclassical but also from Elizabethans also. So in this we can see a mixture of classicism and Romanticism.
Definition of drama as per dryden:
In the third part the speaker talks about giving a wider explanation of the definition of Drama given by Dryden. His way of define definition is very descriptive and in a very easy manner
"It is a just and lively image of human nature, representing passions and humours, and the changes of fortune to which it is subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind.”
Here he used the word just and lively image means it is not merely imitation or artificial image but it is natural image. The re-presentation means not only an imitation or copy but a lively image and liveliness is also presented, where passions and humour are part of life. Last two words are more important…
"Delight and instruction"
Concept of ancient and modern:
In the later part there is an argument about who is superior, ancient or modern. Dryden justifies solid native English but not disrespecting ancients. Here some of the dilemmas like should we follow only ancients or disrespect him. Do we need to go on our own or do we need to follow them? Do we need to build something and can we go against them...so prove this point there are four characters..
Crites(Sir Robert Howard) who is in favour of the ancients and said they established three units which are used by French artists as well as English playwrights like Ben jonson. So they are influenced by ancients.
Eugenius (Charles Seckville) He tries to make both polls together and stand on the boundary of moderns. Who favours moderns over ancients. Moderns are better because they are standing on the shoulder of the ancients so they look far away than ancients.
Lisideius (Sir Charles Seadly) According to Lisideius French drama is superior to English drama because they are closer to classical tradition of writing like separation of comedy and tragedy.
So after giving these three arguments Neander tries to prove his own point that English drama is better than the Ancients. Which is based on reality tragicomedy which we can see in our day to day life mixture of passions and humours.
Argument of dryden :use and avoidance of rhyme
Dryden's argument to use and avoid Rhyme. There is debate between Crites and Dryden himself as Neander. There is a neoclassical way of writing, heroic couplets are used and writing in verse, where Dryden himself is a part of this tradition. So Dryden mouthpiece Neander supports writing serious plays in verse. Crites make the argument that it is artificiality to use rhyme to portray just and live images and quite hilarious to one's scold his servant in rhyme and party in rhyme.This takes away naturalness. There is a drydenargument when we talk about his famous play "All for Love" is not in verse. So here Dryden's argument proved weak. He further said that use of rhyme increases Grandeur, grandeur of word, thought and action. So in his argument we can find two counterpoints.
Arguement of crites and Nender:
Last part is the arguments between Crites and Neander on the question of whether it is advisable to use rhyme or blank verse or not.
Concept of rhyme:
Rhyme is unnatural through the use of it one cannot carry just and lively image of human nature. Neander makes the argument that literature is a sensual phenomenon, so it appeals to the sense of reason and sense of listening too. It is all about choosing appropriate words in the appropriate place, if natural words are in a natural place then there is Neander's last conclusion is that Dryden speaks Drama in general and Tragedy in particular. Particularly tragedy is a serious form of art so seriousness should be maintained and for that use of noble rhyme is important. It is very difficult to use noble rhymes for everyone, so if you have this literacy and craftsmanship then you can achieve that height and go for nobel literature.
Conclusion
Neander's last conclusion is that Dryden speaks Drama in general and Tragedy in particular. Particularly tragedy is a serious form of art so seriousness should be maintained and for that use of noble rhyme is important. It is very difficult to use noble rhymes for everyone, so if you have this literacy and craftsmanship then you can achieve that height and go for nobel literature.
So in this video Neander speaks of the ideas of Dryden that rhyme and blank verse should be used in Drama.
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