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Paper: 3 ( Literary theory and criticism )
Name: Bhatt Urvi P.Roll no. 36Class: sem-1
Topic: Dryden’s view on three unities
P.G.Enrollment No. : PG13101004Seat No. : 1130036Email id: [email protected] Submitted to: Smt S.B.Gardy Department of English Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar UniversityBhavnagar(Gujarat-India)
THREE UNITIES OF
DRAMA
TIME PLACE
ACTION
Introduction:
Dryden(1631-1700)
An English poet, dramatist and critic.
Literary figure of restoration age.
‘ An Essay of Dramatic Poesy ’(1668)
Father of literary English criticism.
Battle of the ancients and moderns-the critical comparison of Greek and Roman authors more resent once was fought.
The two sides as a debate among four friends.
Prefers the lively English Drama to lifeless French tragedy
Believes to write without regard for the prescription for good writing.
Dryden’s defense on the violation of three unities:
Gives copiousness and variety to the English plays
French plays are often betrayed into absurdities from which English plays are free.
Disregarded of unities enable them to give ‘just’ and ‘lively’ picture of human nature.
French plays are regular but not live.
Shakespeare’s plays are close to human life.
English observes the rules as Ben Jonson did in ‘Silent Woman’
Shows better skill than French playwrights.
Observing rules depends upon ‘genius’ or ‘skill’ of the writer.
‘Sub-plot’ brings variety, richness and liveliness.
French had narrow and cramped plays.
Results in improbability.
Gives strain on the imagination of the spectators.
Lisideius argues :
“ we cannot so speedily recollect ourselves after a scenes of great passion and concernment to pass to another of mirth and humor and to enjoy it with any relish.”
Neander replied :
“ why should he imagine the soul of man more heavy than his senses? Does not the eye pass from an unpleasant object to a pleasant in a much shorter time?
“gratification of senses is primary, secondary that of soul”
Conclusion:
Dr. Johnson writes “the stage is a stage and the play is a play.”
Dryden believes that if the ends of drama are better fulfilled by a violation of the unities
There is no harm in violating them.
Shakespeare has produced more ‘just’ and ‘lively’ plays
Though he has utterly disregarded the unities.
