An Essay of Dramatic Poesy

1. Milind Bedse
Department of English
Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji
Mahavidyalaya, Shrigonda
Dist. Ahmednagar

2. ABOUT CRITIC
• JOHN DRYDEN 19 AUGUST 1631 – 12 MAY 1700) WAS AN
ENGLISH POET, LITERARY CRITIC, TRANSLATOR, AND
PLAYWRIGHT WHO WAS APPOINTED ENGLAND'S
FIRST POET LAUREATE IN 1668
• HE IS SEEN AS DOMINATING THE LITERARY LIFE
OF RESTORATION ENGLAND TO SUCH A POINT THAT
THE PERIOD CAME TO BE KNOWN IN LITERARY
CIRCLES AS THE AGE OF DRYDEN.
• DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON CALLED HIM “ A FATHER OF
ENGLISH CRITICISM”.
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

3. AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY
• PROBABLY WRITTEN IN 1666
• DURING THE CLOSURE OF THE LONDON THEATERS DUE TO PLAGUE.
• THE FOUR GENTLEMEN, EUGENIUS, CRITES, LISIDEIUS, AND NEANDER AS WELL
AS DRYDEN’S OWN DEFENSE OF HIS LITERARY PRACTICES.
• .THE ESSAY IS STRUCTURED AS A DIALOGUE AMONG FOUR FRIENDS ON THE
RIVER THAMES.
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

4. AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

5. Play
Eugenius
Crites
Lisideius
Neander
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

6. Eugenius- defend of English
Crites –defend of Ancient
Lisideius- defend of French
Neander- defend of English (
Shkespeare, jonson, Flether
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

7. “
”
A play is just and lively image of human nature,
representing its passions and humors, and the changes of
fortune to which it is subject, for the delight and
instruction of mankind
Definition of Play
By Lisideius.
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

8. CRITES
1. GREEK AND ROMAN LITERATURE WERE A ROLE MODEL
FOR ALL LITERATURE.
2. EUROPEANS AVOIDED ANCIENT LITERATURE.
3. ANCIENTS OBSERVES THE THREE UNITIES.
4. PRAISE THE PURITY OF ANCIENTS.
5. USED MORE THAN ONE UNDER PLOT.
6. ENGLISH WRITERS ARE IMPERFECT TO USE FORM.
SIR ROBERT HOWARD
• DEFENDS ANCIENTS
• PARTICULARLY GREEK
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

9. EUGENIUS
1. AGREE WITH IMITATION OF ANCIENTS LITERATURE, BUT
IMPROVE THE IMITATIVE ART.
2. PRAISE FOR THE CONTRIBUTION OF DIVISION IN PLAY BY
ENGLISH PLAYWRITERS.
3. ANCIENTS WRITERS USED COMMON PLOT OF THEBES OR
TROY
4. ANCIENTS WERE ONLY FOCUS ON UNITY OF ACTION.
5. NOT REACH TO THE GOAL OF DRAMA I.E . DELIGHT AND
INSTRUCT.
6. ADMIRE INTERMINGLING OF COMEDY AND TRAGEDY.
7. ANCIENTS TRAGEDIES WERE VIOLENT, SHOCK TO AUDIENCE.
CHARLES SACKVILLE
• DEFENDS CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH
DRAMA
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

10. LISIDEIUS
1. NOW FRENCH WRITERS WRITE BETTER THAN ENGLISH
2. BLAME ENGLISH WRITERS FOR USING OVERLOADED
SUBPLOT; FRENCH’S WRITER DO NOT USE MORE
SUBPLOT.
3. SUCCESSFUL TO USE BETTER PLOT AND NOT MIX ANY
FORM.
4. AVOID MELODRAMA; DEVELOP CHARACTER BY
NARRATION THAN ACTION.
5. FRENCH WRITERS USE RHYME; ENGLISH WRITERS USE
BLANK VERSE.
CHARLES SEDLY
• DEFEND OF FRENCH
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

11. NEANDER
1. AGREE WITH LISIDEIUS ON PLOT CONSTRUCTION.
2. DISAGREE WITH LISIDEIUS ON INTERMINGLING OF
TRAGEDY AND COMEDY.
3. FRENCH PLOTS ARE BARREN AND ENGLISH PLOTS ARE
VARIETY.
4. DEFENDS UNDERPLOTS.
JOHN DRYDEN
• DEFEND OF ENGLISH
SHKESPEARE, JONSON, FLETHER
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

12. CRITES
1. GREEK AND ROMAN LITERATURE WERE A ROLE MODEL FOR
ALL LITERATURE.
2. EUROPEANS AVOIDED ANCIENT LITERATURE.
3. ANCIENTS OBSERVES THE THREE UNITIES.
4. PRAISE THE PURITY OF ANCIENTS.
5. USED MORE THAN ONE UNDER PLOT.
6. ENGLISH WRITERS ARE IMPERFECT TO USE FORM.
EUGENIUS
1. AGREE WITH IMITATION OF ANCIENTS LITERATURE, BUT IMPROVE THE IMITATIVE
ART.
2. PRAISE FOR THE CONTRIBUTION OF DIVISION IN PLAY BY ENGLISH PLAYWRITERS.
3. ANCIENTS WRITERS USED COMMON PLOT OF THEBES OR TROY
4. ANCIENTS WERE ONLY FOCUS ON UNITY OF ACTION.
5. NOT REACH TO THE GOAL OF DRAMA I.E . DELIGHT AND INSTRUCT.
6. ADMIRE INTERMINGLING OF COMEDY AND TRAGEDY.
7. ANCIENTS TRAGEDIES WERE VIOLENT, SHOCK TO AUDIENCE.
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

13. LISIDEIUS
1. NOW FRENCH WRITERS WRITE BETTER THAN ENGLISH
2. BLAME ENGLISH WRITERS FOR USING OVERLOADED SUBPLOT;
FRENCH’S WRITER DO NOT USE MORE SUBPLOT.
3. SUCCESSFUL TO USE BETTER PLOT AND NOT MIX ANY FORM.
4. AVOID MELODRAMA; DEVELOP CHARACTER BY NARRATION THAN
ACTION.
5. FRENCH WRITERS USE RHYME; ENGLISH WRITERS USE BLANK
VERSE.
NEANDER
1. AGREE WITH LISIDEIUS ON PLOT
CONSTRUCTION.
2. DISAGREE WITH LISIDEIUS ON INTERMINGLING
OF TRAGEDY AND COMEDY.
3. FRENCH PLOTS ARE BARREN AND ENGLISH PLOTS
ARE VARIETY.
4. DEFENDS UNDERPLOTS.
AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY

14. AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY