John Dryden

Dryden, JohnQuestion Bank

1. What is the function of poetry according to Dryden?

2. Sum up the views of Dryden on Dramatic Poetry

3. Dryden’s Views on Tragedy

4. Dryden’s Responses to Epic

5. Dryden’s view on Unities

Dryden, JohnQuestion Bank

6. Dryden considered the unities of time and place too rigorous- Discuss

7. Dryden’s remarks on tragic hero

8. Dryden’s Views on Satire.

9. In spite of the scattered nature of his criticism

no literary problem that confronted his age escaped Dryden’s criticism

10. Why does Dr. Johnson consider Dryden as the father of English Criticism

1.Function of Poetry

The final end of poetry was delight Delight is the chief end of poetry Instruction can be admitted in the second

place The delight of serious plays is to affect the

souls The poet is neither a teacher nor a bare

imitator but a creator Having nature as his raw material, the poet

produces a new thing altogether

2. Dryden’s View on Dramatic Poetry

In his Essay of Dramatic Poesy Dryden defends tragi-comedy on the basis that both joy and pain lie in close proximity to each other

In A Parallel of Poetry and Painting he comes out strongly against tragi-comedy

Dryden is for avoiding the scene of death in the stage He would allow other physical actions such as battles

and duels He gives different interpretations to the unities

3. D’s View on Tragedy

His remarks on tragedy are contained in the Preface to Troilus and Cressida called The Grounds of Criticism in Tragedy

His definition is similar to Aristotle’s But he differs in the interpretation of pity and

fear To expel arrogance and introduce

compassion are the effects of tragedy To affect purgation within few hours is

doubted

4. D’s Responses to Epic 1

Epic is superior to tragedy Epic does not lack anything that tragedy contains Pride humbled, virtue rewarded and vice

punished In two respects they differ

1. tragedy’s message in a shorter compass

2. stage is handicapped to show many things

D’s Responses to Epic 2

Visual effect of the tragedy is denied to the epic For visual effects poets alone can take credit for

it What cannot be presented on the stage can be

presented in epic through words More beauty is lost in the performance A worthless play well acted may succeed in the

theatre Heroic poem is the greatest work of

human nature

D’s Responses to Epic 3

Epic’s

1. Action is greater

2. Structure more elaborate

3. Characters more dignified

4. Language more exalted

5. Episodes more varied

6. Effects more lasting

D’s Responses to Epic 4

D disagrees with Aristotle’s insistence on morals in epic

On Choice of words in epic:

sublime subjects

with sublimest

expression To make use of more rhetorical devices such

as: metaphor, hyperbole etc

D’s View on Unities 1

D against accepted interpretation of the three unities such as:

1. the plot should be single 2. the time of action 24 hours

3. place the same throughout Unity of place not mentioned by Aristotle Unity of time is violated by Terence There is a logic behind the unity of action which

requires a plot to be a coordinated whole It does not affect the unity when a sub-plot is

introduced as one more part woven in to the main design

D’s View on Unities 2

The strict adherence to unity of time and place lead to dearth of plot and narrowness of imagination

Increasing the time of the plot does not affect the unity

The scene of the play need not be confined to one place

D considered the unity of time and place too rigorous

6.Dryden considered the unities of time and place too rigorous- Discuss Action is constrained because of the time

factor In tragedy it is much difficult to adhere to

these unities Because in tragedy the design is weighty and

the persons great In comedy unities wont affect much It will not allow the plot to mature

7. D’s Remarks on Tragic Hero

Should be true to life He must be one capable of exciting pity and

fear He must be exalted in rank Virtuous to be able to excite pity for his

misfortune Tainted in one particular

8. D’s View on Satire

It is a species of heroic poetry It follows the epic in its design The satirist should choose one folly or vice Fine raillery is the manner preferred by D Verse is more suitable for satire He prefers the verse of ten syllable for satire

9.

On Verse forms On Stanzas On meter On Unities On subject matter His criticism has a wide compass

Father of English Criticism

First taught to determine upon principles the merit of composition

Others before him only presented occasional views

Ben Jonson only mere jottings of few things England had great writers before Dryden but

not great critics Touched upon wide range of issues

concerning literature of his time

To be continued