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• Core Subject 3 Literary CriticismUnit IIIDrydenJohnson

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-Wole Soyinka

Dryden

• An Introduction

• Dryden as a Critic

• 4 Topics

• 10 Questions

An Introduction

John Dryden, (1631-1700), English poet, literary critic, dramatist and leader in Restoration comedy wrote the comedic play Marriage A-la-Mode (1672), and the tragedy All for Love (1678).

John Dryden

• English Poet

• Literary Critic

• Dramatist

• Translator

• Leader in Restoration Comedy

• Poet Laureate

John Dryden was born in Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire, England, the eldest of fourteen children of Erasmus Dryden (c.1602–1654) and Mary Pickering (d. 1676).

Dryden’s Birth

• Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire, England

• Eldest son among 14

• Erasmus Dryden and Mary Pickering

Dryden’s Education

• King’s Scholar

• Classics at Westminster

• Entered Trinity College in 1650

• Graduated in 1654

Dryden’s Marriage

• Married Lady Elizabeth Howard

• Daughter of the Earl of Berkshire

• On December 1 1663

• Later Three Sons

Dryden in Kings Theatre

• Dryden entered into contact with Kings Theatre company

• In 1668

• To Produce three play a year

Honours

• Archbishop of Canterbury Awarded him an M. A. in 1668

• Became Poet Laureate in the same year

• Became Royal Historiographer in 1970

Dishonours

• Beaten by thugs in 1679

• Ordered by Earl of Rochester

• For collaboration on An Essay Upon Satire

• Not upon Evidence

• On Suspicion

• William III becomes King

• Loses his Laureateship in 1688

His works

• Heroic Stanzas (1658), on the death of Oliver Cromwell is his first important work

• Poem Astræa Redux (1660). 

• To His Sacred Majesty, a Panegyrick on his Coronation (1661)

• First play The Wild Gallant was first staged in 1662

His Works contd.

• The Rival Ladies (1663 ) [play]

• Attached to it is one of his famous Prefaces where he describes his principles of dramatic criticism

• His first successful play, written in heroic couplets was The Indian Emperor (1665)

His Works Contd.

• Annus Mirabilis(1666) celebrates the English Navy's victory over the Dutch

• The Maiden Queen was composed in blank verse, rhyming couplets and prose in 1667

• The Assignation, or Love in a Nunnery  in the same year

His Works Contd.

• An Essay of Dramatic Poesy (1668) was written two years after the Restoration with the reopening of the theatres

• Marriage A-la-Mode (1672)

• The Conquest of Granada (1672)

• His unsuccessful work on the theme of Paradise Lost, The State of Innocence, was staged in 1674

His Works Contd.

• He produced his best play, All for Love in 1678.

• It is Dryden's most famous masterpiece based on Anthony and Cleopatra

• Troilus and Cressida (1679)• Absalom and Achitophel, Dryden's

allegorical poem appeared in 1681 • Well-known political satire of Shaftesbury • An Allegory

His Works Contd.

• Religio Laici (1682 )

• A didactic poem

• Argues the case for Anglicanism

• Threnodia Angustalis (1685) is an ode to Charles II

• The Hind and the Panther (1687 )

• It marked Dryden's final conversion to Roman Catholicism

His Works Contd.

• Don Sebastian (1690),a tragi-comedy

•  Love Triumphant (1694) , a tragi-comedy

• Translated poems from Latin and Greek

Dryden’s Death

• John Dryden died on 12 May 1700

• From inflammation caused by gout

• Buried in the Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey, London, England

• Nearby to his long time friend William Congreve

Dryden as a Critic

Dryden as a Critic

• Neo-Classicist• French Influence• Essay Of Dramatic Poesy• Prefaces• Unsystematic• Inconsistent• Repetitive • It is scattered

Neo- Classicist

• Gave importance to classical rules

• Rules Compatibility with nature

• New interpretation of rules based on the nature of poetry

French Influence

• During the civil war between parliament and Charles I many poets left for France and later influenced by French

• To get royal favour they mixed English with French during the reign of Charles II and James II

Essay Of Dramatic Poesy

• Major Critical work of John Dryden

• It is in the form of the Dialogue

• He defends English Dramatists

• Defends tragi-comedy

• Explains Unities in favour of English

Prefaces

• Epistle Dedicatory of the Rival Ladies

- advocates the use of heroic

purposes

• Dedication to Annus Mirabilis

- advocates four-line stanza for heroic verse

Prefaces

• A Defence of an Essay of Dramatic Poesy prefixed to The Indian Emperor

• “Of Heroic Plays” prefixed to The Conquest of Granada [Part 1]

• Epilogue and The Defence of the Epilogue to The Conquest of Granada [Part II]

- defend the use of rhymed couplet in tragedy

Prefaces

• “The Apology of Heroic Poetry” prefixed to The State of Innocence eulogises Milton’s achievements in heroic poetry

• “The Grounds of Criticism in Tragedy” prefixed to Troilus and Cressida contains an exposition of Aristotle’s tragedy

• “A Discourse Concerning the Original and Progress of Satire” prefixed to the translation of The Satires of Juvenal

Prefaces

• “Dedication of the Aenies” prefixed to the translation of Virgil’s Works

• Preface to the Fables

To Be Continued…

Literary Criticism

Portion for Second Internal

John Dryden

Model Question Paper

Section- AAnswer any five questions [1x 5=5]

1. “Dryden is the father of English criticism” are the words uttered by----- [a] Dr. Johnson [b] Ben Jonson [c] Magic Johnson2. Dryden wrote An Essay of Dramatic Poesy to vindicate the honour of------dramatists. [a] French [b] English [c] German3. “The Apology of Heroic Poetry” is prefixed to----- [a] The State of Innocence [b] All for Love [c] The Rivals4. Dryden considers Epic superior to--- [a] tragedy [b] comedy [c] tragi-comedy5. “The Grounds of Criticism in Tragedy” is prefixed to ---- [a] Troilus and Cressida [b] The Conquest of Granada [c] All for Love6. Dryden’s criticism is unsystematic.7. [a] True [b] False

8. Dryden’s criticism is inconsistent. [a] True [b] False9. Dryden’s Criticism is repetitive. [a] False [b] True10. A Defence of an Essay of Dramatic Poesy prefixed to [a] The Indian Emperor [b] The Rival Ladies Section- B Answer any question in 200 words[1 x5=5]11. Write a short note on Dryden as a critic.12.List the critical works of Dryden.

Answer any question in 500 words[1x 10=10]13. Dryden’s career as a critic-Discuss.14. Write an analysis of Dryden’s critical works