(Note: this is just a PYQ discussion set)
🔴 Key Playwrights and Their Works
1. William Wycherley
- The Country Wife: Satirizes societal norms and hypocrisy.
- The Plain Dealer: Partially based on Molière's The Misanthrope.
2. William Congreve
- The Way of the World: A masterpiece exploring themes of love, marriage, and intrigue, though initially unsuccessful.
- The Double Dealer: Highlights deception in romantic and social relationships.
3. George Etherege
- The Man of Mode: Features Sir Fopling Flutter and critiques foppish behavior.
4. John Dryden
- Marriage à la Mode: A blend of Restoration wit and classical influences.
- Essay of Dramatic Poesy: Debates French and English theatre traditions.
5. Sir John Vanbrugh
- The Relapse: A sequel to Colley Cibber's Love's Last Shift.
- The Provoked Wife: Examines marital discord.
6. Aphra Behn
- The Rover: Pioneering work by one of the first female playwrights, dealing with themes of female autonomy and colonialism.
7. Collaborative Works
- Three Hours After Marriage by John Gay, Alexander Pope, and John Arbuthnot combines satire with farcical elements.
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🔴 Themes and Characteristics of Restoration Theatre
1. Central Themes
- Love, marriage, sexual intrigue, libertinism, and satire of societal norms.
- Critique of upper-class behavior and the libertine ethos of Charles II’s court.
2. Structure and Style
- Blends Elizabethan drama traditions with Neoclassical influences from France and Italy.
- Use of heroic couplets in plays like Dryden’s.
3. Wit and Language
- Sharp repartee, double entendres, and symbolic character names (e.g., Lady Wishfort).
- Frequent use of asides and soliloquies to reveal characters' inner thoughts.
4. Visual Innovations
- Advanced stagecraft with multi-level platforms, painted scenery, and movable backdrops.
- Use of masques, musical interludes, and dances for spectacle.
5. Female Roles and Actresses
- Women appeared on stage for the first time, often performing breeches roles.
- Female playwrights like Aphra Behn introduced fresh perspectives on gender and society.
6. Audience and Reception
- Plays targeted both the elite and a wider public, blending high wit with bawdy humor.
- Open criticism of hypocrisy and moral corruption.
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🔴 Key Historical Context and Criticism
1. Jeremy Collier’s Critique
- In A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage (1698), Collier condemned the coarseness of Restoration comedies and criticized Congreve and Vanbrugh specifically.
2. Decline of Restoration Comedy
- By the early 18th century, sentimental comedies replaced the explicit humor and satire, signaling a shift in societal values.
3. Cultural Influence
- Restoration theatre mirrored the hedonistic spirit of the time, while also borrowing themes from Molière and classical Greek and Roman drama.
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🔴 Important Innovations and Features
1. Prologues and Epilogues
- Witty introductions and conclusions that addressed contemporary issues directly to the audience.
2. Integration of Comedy and Tragedy
- Plays often merged comedic elements with serious themes, particularly in works like Dryden's All for Love.
3. Representation of Women
- Female characters gained agency, as seen in Millamant (The Way of the World) and Hellena (The Rover).
4. Use of Archetypes
- The witty rake, the naive country wife, the foppish gentleman, and the scheming widow became standard figures.
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🔴 Trivia and Minute Details
1. The Way of the World failed commercially upon its debut due to its moralistic tone, despite being a critical favorite today.
2. George Etherege’s The Man of Mode subtly critiques societal vanity through Sir Fopling Flutter.
3. The Plain Dealer integrates French comedic traditions while maintaining a distinctly English tone.
4. Restoration comedies often faced backlash for their bawdiness, reflecting the libertine ethos of the Restoration period.
--- LITERARY SPHERE
This is the complete compilation. Let me know if there is anything more you need!
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