Modern Drama: The Revival of Drama

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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