Introduction
After Shakespeare and his contemporaries, English drama faced a decline for two centuries.
Even prominent figures like Congreve, Sheridan, and Goldsmith couldn't restore its former glory during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
The revival occurred in the late nineteenth century, marking a new era for English drama.
Factors Contributing to Revival
Influence of Ibsen
Ibsen, the Norwegian dramatist, inspired English dramatists like Bernard Shaw.
Shaw discussed serious social and moral issues sensibly, marking the rise of the Comedy of Ideas or Purpose.
Prevailing Cynical Atmosphere
The cynicism of the time allowed Oscar Wilde to mock Victorian moral assumptions.
This atmosphere led to the revival of the Comedy of Manners or Artificial Comedy.
Transformation of Serious Drama
Influenced by Ibsen, English drama from 1890 onwards focused on human emotions and relatable themes.
Dramatists shifted from melodramatic romanticism to portraying real English life across different social classes.
The new drama became a platform for revolutionary ideas challenging past literary models, social conventions, and Victorian morality.
Main Themes
Problems of sex, labor, and youth were central themes, opposing romantic love, capitalism, and parental authority.
Characters often questioned and resisted Victorian prejudices.
Influence of Schopenhauer and Freud
New dramatists viewed love and sexual relationships as biological phenomena.
Bernard Shaw called it the 'life force.'
Drama incorporated Nature and Life as significant elements.
Changes in Drama Structure
The drama of ideas led to slower action and frequent interruptions for theory explanation.
Inner conflict replaced outer conflict, making drama quieter than its romantic predecessors.
Psychological research influenced the study of the 'soul,' often expressed through symbolism.
Symbolism elevated dark and sordid themes to artistic levels.
Modern Comedy of Manners
The twentieth century saw a revival of the Comedy of Manners, akin to the Augustan period.
New comedy, often witty and satirical, sometimes became cynical when addressing social issues.
Modern life’s artificiality and over-civilization provided fertile ground for satire.
Key Figures in Revival
George Bernard Shaw
Shaw was a leading figure in the Comedy of Ideas, representing the Puritan Anglo-Irish tradition.
He was a deep thinker, contrasting with Wilde's playful attitude to life.
Oscar Wilde
Wilde excelled in the new Comedy of Manners, living a luxurious and frivolous life.
His plays, viewed as 'entertainments,' have survived as examples of pure entertainment comedy.
Other Influential Dramatists
Following Wilde were Somerset Maugham and Noel Coward, though their work didn't match the Restoration's artificial comedy.
Rapid changes in social manners and speech made modern comedy of manners less enduring.
Legacy of the Comedy of Ideas
Shaw’s plays, known for intellectual depth and form, presented modern life's problems and thoroughly discussed them.
His prefaces further explored the themes, emphasizing the need for civilized development or risk perishing.
Shaw's humor and wit saved him from persecution, unlike his contemporaries.
Modern Dramatists Inspired by Shaw
Granville Barker, Galsworthy, James Birdie, Priestley, Sir James Barrie, and John Masefield followed Shaw's example but didn't reach his standards.
Other Drama Types
Irish Dramatic Movement
Originated by Lady Gregory and W. B. Yeats, it included notable dramatists like J. M. Synge and Sean O'Casey.
Revival of Poetic Drama
T. S. Eliot was the most important practitioner of modern poetic drama.
Other poets like Christopher Fry, Stephen Philips, and Stephen Spender also contributed to poetic plays, often with religious themes promoting Christianity.
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