SHORT NOTE – MAJOR 4

Ben Jonson – Ben Jonson is the most important dramatist among Shakespeare’s contemporaries. While Shakespeare is a
romantic, Ben Jonson is a classicist. His first great play is Everyman in His Humour. The play was followed by other comedies –
Every Man out of his Humour, Cynthia’s Revels, The Alchemist , Barthelomew Fayre, Volpone, The Silent Women. Volpone
subtitled The Fox is a comedy by Ben Jonson. Volpone is rich and childless. He along with Mosca plans to pretend illness and
extract money from the people by enticing them that they are going to be the heir of Volpone. Later Mosca also cheats
Volpone and Volpone reveals everything. The Alchemist is considered to be one of the greatest plays of Ben Jonson. It was
first acted in 1610 and printed in 1612. Alchemist is a powerful satire on tricksters. The entire play is in blank verse. His
comedies are remarkable for their neat structure and depiction of characters, their peculiarities. His two great tragedies –
Sejanus and Catiline are based on Roman history. Jonson is basically a comic genius. He presents contemporary life in a spirit
of humour and fun. His characters are humour characters. Jonson uses the humorous style for satiric portrayal of characters.

RESTORATION COMEDY OF MANNERS – English drama had a new span of life after the Restoration when the ban
of 1642 was lifted. The material of the Restoration comedy was the life of gentlemen, citizens of time. Scenes were set in St.
James Park, Mulberry Gardens, Westminister Hall and similar fashionable locations, current fashions in manners, dress,
morals and conversation were displayed. The plots generally turned on love and money. But this material was handled with
far more amusement and criticism. The first of the great writers of the comedy of manners was George Etherege. He began
with The Comical Revenge which presented some farcical situations. His best work is The Man Of Mode or Sir Fopling Flutter.
It is a remarkable study of character and manners. Its hero, Sir Fopling, who is a largely autobiographical creation, is a mixture
of great charm and serious faults. With John Wycherley, a more powerful playwright enters the field of comedy of manners.
He has a rich sense of humour, and his plays hold the mirror up to the age. His dramatic talent is seen at its best in two
comedies The Plain Dealer and The Country Wife. The later is comparatively more amusing from all points, theme,
characterisation and plot. The plot of The Plain Dealer is more complicated and a bit strained. But it was William Congreve
who brought the comedy of manners to perfection and highest glory. The truth is that Congreve is the best comedy-maker of
the time, the most elegant, the most brilliant, and most artistic of the school. He polished dialogues and style in a manner
unknown to his predecessors or contemporaries. After the initial attempts like The Old Bachelor and The Double Dealer, both
of which display brilliant wit and eloquent dialogue, but fail utterly in plot structure and characterisation, Congreve reached
maturity in Love for Love. Here he makes a marvellous artistic synthesis of plot, human interest, stage craft and display of
verbal wit. The Way of the World is, however, the most brilliantly conceived and executed comedy of the age. Its characters –
both vicious ones like Fainall and Mrs. Marwood, and good ones like Mirabell and Millamant – are convincingly presented.

POST SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA/ JACOBEAN DRAMA / JACOBEAN TRAGEDY – The Post Shakespearean
drama is also known as Jacobean drama. These playwrights wrote during the period of King James I. Some of the famous
Jacobean dramatists were -- Ben Jonson, Webster, Dekker, Heywood, Beaumont, Fletcher, Ford etc. Though some
Shakespeare’s great tragedies were written during this period, but he is not considered as a Jacobean dramatist mainly
because his genius flourished vastly in the Elizabethan period. An important Jacobean dramatist was John Webster. He was
famous for his tragedies like The Duchess of Malfi and The White Devil. He followed the tradition of blood and thunder play
begun by Marlowe. The story of “The Duchess of Malfi” is taken from one of Bandello’s novella through Painter’s “Palace of
Pleasure”. The Duchess a high minded widow reveals her love for Antonio, the steward of her court, and secretly marries him.
Her two brothers engage a spy, Bosalo in her palace. The Duchess is prosecuted and made to suffer horrible torture. A
number of deathS follow. Cardinal one of the Duchess’s brother is killed by a remorseful Bosalo. The play ends in the tradition
of a revenge tragedy. The plot is weak and packed with horrible elements. (ADD BEN JONSON)

JOHN BUNYAN / “The Pilgrim’s Progress” – John Bunyan was a celebrated English minister and preacher,
author of the book “Pilgrim’s Progress” (1678), the book that was the most characteristic expression of the Puritan religious
outlook. His other works include doctrinal and controversial writings; a spiritual autobiography, “Grace Abounding” and the
allegory, “The Holy War. The English author John Bunyan is recognised as a master of allegorical prose, and his art is often
compared in conception and technique to that of John Milton and Edmund Spenser. “The Pilgrim’s Progress” is an allegory by
John Bunyan. The allegory takes the form of a dream by the author. He sees Christian with a burden. Christian learns that
their city will be burnt and he flees from the city on the advice of Evangelist. But his wife and children refuses to accompany
him. Later, moved by a vision Christian’s wife, Christiana sets out with her children on the same pilgrimage. She is
accompanied by Mercy, her neighbour. They are escorted by Great Heart. “The Pilgrims Progress” is remarkable for the
beauty and simplicity of its language, the vividness and reality of characterization and the author’s sense of humour.
 The Alchemist – It is considered to be one of the greatest play of Ben Jonson. It was first acted in 1610 and printed in
1612. During an epidemic of plague, Lovewit – a gentleman leaves his house in London in the hands of his servant Face and
goes to a retreat. Then Face with the help of the alchemist Subtle and Dol Common starts cheating the people by promising to
them a philosopher’s stone. Then suddenly Lovewit returns. Subtle and Dol flees away. Face succeeds in making peace with
his master by marrying him to Dame Pliant. Alchemist is a powerful satire on tricksters. The entire play is in blank verse. The
language is varied.

Alexander Pope – Alexander Pope was an 18th century English poet. He is best known for his satirical verses and his
translation of Homer. He was famous for using heroic couplet. Pope in his poetry has criticised artificial manners , showy
dresses and artificiality of his age. His first important work is The Pastorals. Essay on Criticism is a critical work of Pope. The
Rope of the Lock is a mock heroic satire where Pope has criticised the mannerism of the women folk of higher class. He
introduced the ‘Supernatural Machinery’ for this poem. An Epistle to Doctor Arbuthnot and Essay on Man are two important
works of Pope . The Dunciad is a another mock heroic satire by Pope where he attacks poetic dullness. Critics has suggested
that through his extra love for satire , Pope has abused his poetic talent

John Dryden – John Dryden was an English poet, critic, playwright and translator of the late 17 th century. He is considered
by critics as the ‘father of modern English poetry and criticism’. Between 1664 and 1677 he wrote atleast five heroic tragedies
– The Indian Emperor , Tyrannic Love, The Conquest of Granada and Aureng – Zebe. In all these we find a man of superhuman
power and a beautiful heroine . Each of these plays relates the story of fighting. There is a lack of passion found in these
plays. Although initially famous for his comedies and heroic tragedies, other works of Dryden are critical essays and
translations of works by Virgil , Chaucer etc. His satirical and didactic poems are praiseworthy. In poems like “Absalom and
Achitophel” , “The Hind and the Panther”, and “Religio Laici” shows force and wit. “All for Love” is a work of Dryden in blank
verse.

JOHN MILTON – John Milton was undoubtedly the most representative poet of his age. Milton first attempt “On the
Death of a Fair Infant” was probably written on the death of his niece Anne Philips. Some of his early notable works are “On
the Morning of Christ’s Nativity”, “Lycidas” and “Comus” (masque). “Lycidas” is a pastoral elegy which dwells on the fear of
premature death and unfulfilled ambition. Milton here mourns the drowning death of fellow student of Cambridge.During
the Civil war Milton plunged headlong into the movement. He wrote a number of prose pamphlets on Church, government
and justice. Some of his best sonnets were written during this period. However the later part of his life was mostly
productive. He created his masterpiece Paradise Lost after he became blind. This fine literary epic, published in 1667 was
written to ‘justify the ways of God to man’. Other remarkable production of this period are Paradise Regained and Samson
Agonistis. Samson Agonistis exhibits Milton’s strength and wisdom in writing a sacred tragedy. No wonder that Tennyson
called Milton the ‘God gifted organ voice of England.’

AEROPAGITICA -- Aeropagitica is an important prose work of Milton. It takes its name from the ‘Areopagitica speech’ by
the Greek orator Isocrates in the 4 th century B.C. The ancient address called for a revival of the power and prestige of the high
court of Athens, the Aeropagus. The tract by Milton was occasioned by the Licensing Act of June 14, 1643, which required
that all books be licensed by an official censor before publication. Milton’s work is addressed to Parliament in an attempt to
persuade its members to repeal the restrictive measure. Milton reviews the entire history of censorship from ancient times. It
has always been tyrannical. He defends the free employment of books in order to attain knowledge in a complex world
where good and evil are woven together. The prose style is majestic. It is the best example of formal classic oration.

EVERY MAN IN HIS HUMOUR – (IMPORTANT FOR BOTH MAJOR 3 AND MAJOR 4) – Every Man in his
Humour is a comedy by Ben Jonson performed at the Curtain theatre (with Shakespeare in the cast) in 1598. It is the first
successful comedy by Ben Jonson in which he seeks to produce his comedy of humours.

Kitely, a merchant is the husband of a pretty young wife. His humour is jealousy. His young brother takes shelter in his house
with a crowd of riotous but harmless gallants, and these he suspects as designs on his wife. One of these young men is
Edward Knowell, whose father’s humour is excessive solicitude for his son’s morals. Dame Kitely, though not suspicious by
nature becomes highly credulous when his suspicions are aroused. Bridget Kitley’s sister is merely a young woman easily
wooed and won. Bobadil, one of Jonson’s greatest creations is a boasting cowardly soldier who associates with the young
gallants. Through a series of events the misunderstandings are cleared. The title of the drama shows Jonson’s aim at
characterisation. He tries to combine a medieval medical conceit with the method employed in Latin theatre. He makes use of
the ‘humours’ in depicting the dominant peculiarity of his characters.
VOLPONE / FOX – Volpone, subtitled The Fox, is a comedy by Ben Jonson. Volpone is rich and childless. He feigns that he
is dying and thus plans to have gifts from his would be heirs. Mosca, Volpone’s companion, persuades each of the visitors that
he is to be the heir. He thus extracts costly presents from them. Finally Volpone makes over his property by will to Mosca and
pretends to be dead. Mosca takes advantage of the situation to blackmail Volpone. But Volpone reveals everything to the
authority and the offenders are punished. The principal characters are Volpone, Mosca, Voltore, Corbaccio and Caruino. Their
respective nicknames – the fox, the fly, the vulture, the crow and the raven indicate their nature and role.

RESTORATION TRAGEDY – Restoration tragedy refers to serious plays written in England after 1660 when theatres
reopened following a long ban during Puritan rule. These plays were different from earlier tragedies and reflected the new
tastes of the time. Restoration Tragedy followed the rules of Classical drama, using the three unities of time, place and action
to create a tight, focused story. Many plays showed conflicts between love and duty and honour. Characters faced
difficultchoicves between theirpersonal feelings and responsibilities. Themain characters were usually noble heroesv or tragic
figures whose flaws lwed to their downfall. The dialogue aws often poetic amnd foermal filled with grand speeches and
philosdophical ideas.. John Dryden’s “All for Love”, Thomas Otwqays’s “Venice Preserved” and NathanielLee’s “The Rival
Queens” are popular examples of Restoration Tragedy. Restoration Tragedies focused on grand themes and noble characters
but became less popular by the late 1600s as audiences preferred more emotional and realiostic plays. Despite this, they
emain an important part of English literary history.

ALL FOR LOVE – “All for Love” by John Dryden is famous Restoration Tragedy written in 1677. It is a retelling of
Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” but written in a more classical style, following the Frenchrules of drama withthe uities
of time, place and action. The play focuses on the tragic love between Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Antony,torn between his
love for Cleopatra and his duty ro Rome, faces betrayal and conflict. Unlike Shakespeare’s version, Dryden emphasizes
Antomny’s inner struggle and presents him a noble but flawed hero. The play explores themes of love, honour and sacrifice.
In the end both Cleoptara and Antony die, choosing love over life. “All for Love” is considered one of Dryden’s best works and
a masterpiece of Restoration Tragedy.

ANDREW MARVELL – Andrew Marvell was an important English poet and politician during the 17 th century. He is bbest
known for his metaphusical [oetry which uses clever ideas, strong imagery and deep emotions. “To his Coy mistress” is a
poem about love and the passing of time urging a woman to make most of life. “The Graden” is a meditation on nature,
solitude and spiritual peace. . Marvll’s poetry often blends love, nature and philosophy. He uses wit and metaphysuical
conceits. His works reflect political andreligious conflicts of the time. Marvell’s poems were not wifdekly known during his
life but became famous after his death. Today, he is admired for his beautiful language and thought provoking ideas.