Course 3: Literary Theory & Criticism: Western – 1 Unit:2

Name: Trivedi Hezal K.PG Reg. No. PG15101040

Roll No:39M.A. – English Regular, Semester-1, Year: 2015

Submitted to: S.B. Gardi Department of English

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

(Gujarat – India)

In his essay on dramatic poesy, Dryden imagines he and his three friends sail out of London in a boat on the river Thames. To avoid the boredom of the journey, the four friends decide to hold some useful discussion on the theory and practice of drama in ancient and modern ages in Greece, Rome, France and England.

1)Ancients vs. Moderns2) Unities3) French vs. English Drama4) Separation of Tragedy and Comedy vs.

Tragicomedy5) Appropriateness of Rhyme in Drama

Ancients Depend on fact Ancients closely observed

nature and faithfully represented her in their work

Every age has its own genius, its own inclination for some particular branch of knowledge

The rules of composition are given by the Ancients

The Ancients follows the rule of three unities of the time place and action

“The ancients should be accepted as the masters today and in the future as well.”

The moderns are imitator of ancient. The Ancients are the acknowledge models of

the moderns Modern drama are not suitably rewarded and

honoured, they do not take pains and put in their best efforts.

Modern have devised no new rules nor, in any way, added to, or modified, any of their rules.

In modern plays the unity of time is violated The modern drama are unnatural’; they can

not be called a ‘just' and ‘true’ representation of nature.

The moderns have not blindly imitated ancients

The moderns exceed the ancients because of having learned and profited from their example.

Moderns know well when the division of into play

As far the Plot or fable of the moderns are concerned with much originality.

Modern scholars transform many basic principles of drama.

Division of the play into acts Dialogues by action instead of narration Moderns have invented and perfected “a

more pleasant way of writing for stage”

Dryden holds that ancient principles should be respected but they should not be followed slavishly. Discussion of Ancients and Moderns should not be for who is “better", is should be more fundamentally about how “history "itself functioned and should be read, and about the Past and present.