The Restoration age (1660- 1700)
Restoration comedy is often referred to as "class drama" since they reflect a way of life cultured by upper class society. It is also called restoration comedy of manners for this very reason. As seen in these plays so called polite society of the time was engaged in conscious living life to the top of its bed, determined to extract whatever pleasure they could get out of this. However, this was not true of the entire restoration community. But was restricted only to that class of society which patronised the theatre. The section of the intellectuals and fashionable world who were always at sixes and sevens in politics, religion and social convention. Such a way of life was not just reflected but the magnificence of the French contribution. The elegance of French court life and also the fact that emperor Charles-II himself loved practised and encouraged this.
Unfortunately the imitation of French court life was of inferior and superficial kind. The restoration age was also an age of enquiry and curiosity which extended to everyday life. Men and Women started experiencing in various social practices and were always trying to rationalize human relationships. They found that for them at least affection and sexual desire are quite different and they tried to organise society on the basis of this. Love in which the two facilities imaginatively fused scarcely of the existence for them. Since they accepted men as "incarnation of animals" it meant of course, of life to be easy, the persuit of a mistress must be an acknowledged amusement. You could , they believed, preserve your affections for your life and be sure of her for you, even if she/you had relatives with other men and women. These reflections of life is often exaggerated which contribute to the comic affect.
Restoration comedies were basically metropolitan in character, that is, there is universal praise of union but of strong detestation for the countryside. The villagetop and country people never consistent for there unsophistication.
The audience did not regard the actors as puppets playing role but they identified themselves as men living an existence which the audience were invited to share and identify. Unfortunately, however the characters became 'typed' and often their names reflected the nature of their character and sufficiency directed their disposition.
For example:- Sir John Brute, Carnal Bully, etc.
Unfortunately the imitation of French court life was of inferior and superficial kind. The restoration age was also an age of enquiry and curiosity which extended to everyday life. Men and Women started experiencing in various social practices and were always trying to rationalize human relationships. They found that for them at least affection and sexual desire are quite different and they tried to organise society on the basis of this. Love in which the two facilities imaginatively fused scarcely of the existence for them. Since they accepted men as "incarnation of animals" it meant of course, of life to be easy, the persuit of a mistress must be an acknowledged amusement. You could , they believed, preserve your affections for your life and be sure of her for you, even if she/you had relatives with other men and women. These reflections of life is often exaggerated which contribute to the comic affect.
Restoration comedies were basically metropolitan in character, that is, there is universal praise of union but of strong detestation for the countryside. The villagetop and country people never consistent for there unsophistication.
The audience did not regard the actors as puppets playing role but they identified themselves as men living an existence which the audience were invited to share and identify. Unfortunately, however the characters became 'typed' and often their names reflected the nature of their character and sufficiency directed their disposition.
For example:- Sir John Brute, Carnal Bully, etc.
- The comedy of manners thus represents the social habits, conventions,manners and follies of the elegant,gay, upper class asaociative society.
- In these comedies sex did indeed became a battle of wits rather than a question of emotions. But it is not to be assumed that a figure represented in show has flesh and blood and then their human types.
- Restoration comedies has often been charged with criticism that role objective of this place was bowdery. But a close analysis shows that though these plays did her stresses of bowdery but their main objective was never to tickle the desire of the audience
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