Name:
Gujarati Krishna V
Roll no.: 20
Paper
name:-2: The Neo-classical literature:
Topic name: The
Salient characteristics of the sentiment comedy in eighteenth century.
Submitted to:-
Heenaba zala
Department
of English
M.k.
University, Bhavnagar
Q. The Salient
characteristics of the sentiment comedy of the eighteenth century.
Introduction:-
Ans. A reaction against the ‘comedy of manners’ which
had been in vogue during the Restoration period. The sentimental comedy A
reaction against all that the comedy of manners sought to espouse .Laughter and
Humors were completely drive out. Pathos
and pathetic situations were introduced .in Greek it means passion, or
suffering, or deep feeling.(pathos means)The first thing that we notice in the
sentiment comedy is- the complete absence of the true spirit of comedy. Sentiment
means much more emotion.
Anti-sentimental
comedy. Anti-Sentimental
Comedy
Anti-Sentimental
comedy is reaction against sentimental comedy . The comedy of humor which
goldsmith and Sheridan cultivate in eighteen century was the reaction against
the sentimental comedy of clibber, Steele, Kelly. Goldsmith opposed sentimental
comedy because it place of laughter and humors.
Characteristic of Anti-sentimental
comedy:
(1) Wit
(2) Laughter
(3) Force
(4) Irony
(5) Disguise
(6) Also called comedy
of manners
Generally the Anti-Sentimental comedy deals with the , and it is always
focus on major character as lover. And it is divided into subplot like the
dramatic way and the relations with the pathos.So, let’s discuss the
Anti-Sentimental comedy with its characteristics .So here it is
Anti-Sentimental comedy.
(1)
The Rival
(2)
The school for scandal
(3)
She stoops to conquer
The school for scandal
Lady Sneerwell, who in her youth was the target of slander, has set her
life upon a course to reduce the reputations of other women to the level of her
own. Aided by her intimate, Snake, she intrigues to involve the Teazles in
scandal, to bring Joseph Surface’s true character to light, to wreck the love
between Charles and Maria, and to gain Charles for herself along with Sir
Oliver’s fortune. To her the world consists of nothing but scandal and
scandalous intrigues, and she does her best to make her vision a reality. She
is not successful, however, when she abuses Charles Surface to Sir Peter
Teazle’s ward Maria, who refuses to listen to her. Instead, Maria trustingly
confides in Lady Candour, whose defense of a reputation ensures its complete
annihilation.
Sometimes Sir Peter
Teazle ponders the wisdom of his marriage to Lady Teazle, doubting the judgment
of an old bachelor in marrying a young wife. Lady Teazle is a country-bred girl
who is enjoying London life extravagantly and to the full. Sir Oliver Surface
is concerned about his two nephews, his problem being the disposal of his great
fortune. Sir Oliver has been abroad for the past fifteen years and feels that
he does not know his nephews’ real natures; he hopes by some stratagem to catch
them unawares and thus be able to test their characters.
One day, Sir Peter and
Lady Teazle quarrel because Sir Peter violently objects to her attendance at
the home of Lady Sneerwell. Lady Teazle accuses Sir Peter of wishing to deprive
her of all freedom and reminds him that he has promised to go to Lady
Sneerwell’s with her. He retorts that he will do so for only one reason, to
look after his own character. When they arrive, Lady Sneerwell’s rooms are full
of people uttering libelous remarks about their enemies and saying even worse
things about their friends. Sir Peter escapes as soon as possible.
When the rest of Lady
Sneerwell’s guests retire to the card room, leaving Maria and Joseph alone,
Joseph once more presses his suit. He insinuates that Maria is in love with
Charles and is thus running counter to Sir Peter’s wishes. Lady Teazle walks in
just as Joseph is on his knees avowing his honest love. Surprised, Lady Teazle
tells Maria that she is wanted in the next room. After Maria leaves, Lady
Teazle asks Joseph for an explanation of what she has seen, and he tells her
that he was pleading with Maria not to tell Sir Peter of his tender concern for
Lady Teazle.
Sir Oliver consults
Rowley, Sir Peter’s shrewd and observing servant, in an attempt to learn more
about his nephews’ characters. Rowley himself believes that Joseph does not
have as good a character as his reputation seems to indicate and that Charles
has a better one. Sir Oliver also consults Sir Peter, who declares that he is
ready to stake his life on Joseph’s honor. He is much put out, therefore, when
Maria once more refuses to marry Joseph.
Sir Peter, Sir Oliver, and Rowley plan to test the worthiness of
the nephews. Charles is, as usual, in dire need of money, and Sir Oliver
arranges to accompany a moneylender who is going to see Charles; Sir Oliver
will claim to be Mr. Premium, a man who can supply the money that Charles
needs. When they arrive at Charles’s lodging, a drinking party is in progress,
and some of the guests are playing games of dice. Sir Oliver is not at all
impressed with Trip, Charles’s footman, who gives himself the airs of a
fashionable man-about-town.
Upon investigating, Sir Oliver discovers that Charles has, with
the exception only of the portraits of his ancestors, turned all of his
inherited possessions into cash. Convinced that Charles is a scamp, Sir Oliver,
still calling himself Premium, agrees to buy the paintings, and he purchases
each picture as presented except his own portrait, which Charles will not sell
for any amount of money. Sir Oliver is pleased by this fact and on that ground
discounts Charles’s reputation for extravagance. Charles receives a draft for
eight hundred pounds for the portraits and immediately sends one hundred pounds
to Mr. Stanley, a poor relation whose financial circumstances are even worse
than his own.
During an assignation
between Joseph Surface and Lady Teazle in Joseph’s library, Joseph advises her
to give her husband grounds for jealousy rather than to suffer his jealousy
without cause. He argues that to save her reputation she must ruin it and that
he is the man best able to help her. Lady Teazle considers such a doctrine very
odd.
While they are talking, Sir Peter arrives unexpectedly, and Lady
Teazle hides behind the screen that Joseph orders placed against the window.
Joseph then pretends to be reading when Sir Peter walks in. Sir Peter has
called to inform Joseph of his suspicions that Lady Teazle is having an affair
with Charles; Sir Peter also shows Joseph two deeds he has brought with him,
one settling eight hundred pounds a year on Lady Teazle for her independent
use, the other giving her the bulk of his fortune at his death. Joseph’s
dissimulation before Sir Peter and Sir Peter’s generosity to her are not lost
on Lady Teazle. When Sir Peter begins to discuss Joseph’s desire to wed Maria,
Lady Teazle realizes that Joseph has been deceiving her.
Below stairs, Charles inopportunely demands entrance to the
house to see his brother. Not wishing to see Charles, Sir Peter asks Joseph
where he can hide. Sir Peter catches a glimpse of a petticoat behind the
screen, but Joseph assures him that the woman behind the screen is only a
French milliner who plagues him. Sir Peter hides in a closet, and Lady Teazle
remains in her hiding place behind the screen.
When Charles comes in, he and Joseph discuss Lady Teazle and Sir
Peter’s suspicion that Charles is her lover. Charles mentions that he believes
Joseph to be her favorite and recounts all the little incidents that lead him
to think so. Embarrassed by this turn in the conversation, Joseph interrupts to
say that Sir Peter is within hearing. Placed in a difficult position, Charles
explains to Sir Peter that he has merely been playing a joke on Joseph. Sir
Peter knows a good joke on Joseph, too, he says: Joseph is having an affair
with a milliner. Charles decides that he wants to have a look at the milliner
and pulls down the screen, revealing Lady Teazle. Joseph is undone because Lady
Teazle refuses to agree with any of the excuses he makes. She angrily informs
her husband of the whole nature of Joseph’s intentions and departs. Sir Peter
follows her, leaving Joseph to his own conscience.
Sir Oliver, masquerading as Mr. Stanley and
badly in need of assistance, gains admittance to Joseph’s apartment. Joseph
refuses to help Mr. Stanley, saying that he receives very little money from Sir
Oliver and claiming that he has advanced all his funds to Charles. After Sir
Oliver leaves, Rowley, who is a party to the whole scheme, comes to tell Joseph
that Sir Oliver has arrived in town.
Sir Oliver goes again to see Joseph. Still believing that his
uncle is Mr. Stanley, Joseph is showing him out just as Charles enters.
Charles, surprised to see the man he knows as Mr. Premium in his brother’s
apartment, also insists that he leave, but at that moment Sir Peter Teazle
arrives and addresses Sir Oliver by his right name. Both Sir Oliver and Sir
sPeter are now aware of Joseph’s real character. Charles, promising to try to
reform, gets Maria and his uncle’s inheritance as well. Lady Sneerwell is exposed
by Snake, who is paid double to speak the truth, and Lady Teazle returns her
diploma to the School for Scandal, of which Lady Sneerwell is president.
Everyone is happy except Lady Sneerwell and Joseph Surface.
Rivals: Anti-Sentimental Comedy
Undoubtedly
Sheridan's purpose in writing "The Rivals" was to entertain the
audience by making them laugh and not by making them shed tears. "The
Rivals" was written as a comedy pure and simple. Though there are
certainly a few sentimental scenes in this play yet they are regarded as a
parody of sentimentality. The scenes between Faulkland and Julia are satire on
the sentimental comedy which was in fashion in those days and against which
Sheridan revolted.
A brief examination of these sentimental scenes would clearly reveal
that Sheridan's intention was to poke fun at the sentimental comedy of the
time. We find both Faulkland and Julia absurd. The true character of Faulkland
is indicated to us by Absolute's description of him as the "most teasing,
captious, incorrigible lover". Faulkland's own description of his state of
mind about his beloved Julia also makes him appear absurd. He says that every
hour is an occasion for him to feel alarmed on Julia's account. If it rains, he
feels afraid lest some shower should have chilled her. If the wind is sharp, he
feels afraid lest a rude blast should adversely affect her health. The heat of
the noon and the dews of the evening may endanger her health. All this is funny
and certainly no to be taken seriously. Sheridan is here ridiculing the
excessive solicitude and concern which an over-sentimental lover like Faulkland
experiences when separated from his beloved. Sheridan seems to be pleading for
mental equilibrium even in the case of an ardent lover.
Sheridan continues to portray
Faulkland in the same satirical manner. When Acres appears and is questioned by
Absolute regarding Julia's activities in the countryside, Acres replied that
Julia has been enjoying herself thoroughly and been having a gay time. Now, a
normal lover would feel extremely happy to learn this. We expect the same
reaction from Faulkland because he had assured Absolute that he would feel
happy "beyond measure" if he were certain that Julia was hale and
hearty. But his actual reaction is quite different and greatly amuses us by its
absurdity.
In both his interviews with Julia, Faulkland betrays the same absurdity.
In the first interview, he complains to her of the mirth and gaiety that she as
been enjoying during his absence. He wants to be loved for his own sake and for
no particular reason and he also expects her love to be "fixed and
ardent". In short, his whole manner of talking to her and his soliloquy at
the end of this scene reveals him in a still more comic light.The second
interview again shows him a ridiculous light. He subjects Julia to a test in
order to convince himself of the sincerity of her love. The author's intention
is to show the absurd length to which an over-sentimental lover can go, and the
author expects us to laugh at this kind of lover.
Even Julia suffers from an excessive sentimentality and she too is made
to appear absurd and ridiculous for that reason. The manner in which she
describes her lover to Lydia shows the kind of mentality that she has. In the
two interviews with Faulkland, Julia is again over-flowing with emotion. We
smile at the way she behaves; we are amused by her excess of emotion; we mock
at the abject surrender to her lover and her repeated attempts to make up with
him.Lydia too is an over-sentimental girl though in a different way; and she
too becomes the subject of ridicule in the play. Her romantic ideas and her
romantic planning appear absurd to us. She wants not the usual routine marriage
but a runaway marriage. Now all this makes us laugh at her superficiality and
silliness. These absurd notions have been derived by her from the sentimental
and romantic stories to which she is addicted. The collapse of her romantic
hopes disappoints her greatly but amuses us a good deal.The manner in which the
other characters have been portrayed is also evidence of the anti-sentimental
character of the play. Captain Absolute is a practical man and though he
assumes the name and status of Ensign Beverley, he would not like to forfeit
the rich dowry which Lydia will bring him. Mrs. Malaprop is a conventional,
practical woman whose attitude to marriage is business-like. Sir Anthony to is
a practical, worldly man. Bob Acres is a country boor with no romantic or
sentimental pretensions but towards the end of the play he shows that he is
more practical than anybody else by saying:"If I can't get a wife without
fighting for her, by any valour, I'll live a bachelor."Then there is Sir
Lucius who is absurd but not because of nay sentimentality. One reason why he
is absurd is because of his insistence on fighting duels. But he does not want
to fight duels for the sake f any sentiment. When Sheridan himself fought a
couple of duels for the sake of Miss Elizabeth Linley, there was a strong
emotion behind them, but here we have a mockery of dueling and we are made to
laugh at the manner in which these duels are arranged.
Conclusion: Anti-Sentimental
comedy this forms is becomes popular with the comedies that were presented by
oliver goldsmith ‘s she stoops to conquer and Richard Brinsley
sheridan’s The Rival and school for scandal it is kind of comedy
representing complex and sophisticated code of
behavior current in fashionable circle of society.
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