English Restoration Comedy has long been equated with Comedy of Manners as written by Etherege, Congreve or Wycherley with a setting in London in upper class society. There are exceptions, however. Some comedies are set in the country, as for instance Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer, or in foreign countries such as Italy (Dryden's Secret Love and Behn's The Rover I); some include characters from the lower classes of society, even criminals (Thomas Shadwell's The Squire of Alsatia) or fantastic creatures like witches (Shadwell's The Lancashire Witches).
For this paper the period labelled Restoration Drama has been delimited somewhat arbitrarily by the Restoration itself at the beginning, and the death of Dryden at the end of it.1 The 1660's, after the re-establishment of the theatrical companies, showed a varied mix of plays, which included performances of the traditional English comedies and tragedies by for instance Shakespeare, Beaumont and Fletcher, Jonson with his humours' comedies, and also their adaptations. A new type of drama was introduced by the Cavaliers returning from their continental exile, containing French or Spanish influences such as from Moliére, or from Spanish intrigue comedy with its highly complicated plot, among the dramatis personae often two young, high-spirited ladies, a gallant and his friend, male adverse authority in the figure of father or brother, roguish attendants, 'honour touched and honour righted ... the comedy of cloak and sword.' (Ward, Cambridge, VIII/5/§15). Van Lennep in his The London Stage (I/cxxii) described it as 'the Spanish romance, based upon a Spanish source, … its emphasis upon a rigid code of conduct, … a plot filled with intrigue, and … one or more high-spirited women in the dramatis personae.'
In this category fall Sir Samuel Tuke's The Adventures of Five Hours. (January 1663, the Spanish source of it then attributed to Calderón, now generally to Antonio Coello; written at the request of Charles II, Tuke's play opened on 8 January 1663 before a full house and achieved an excellent run of thirteen consecutive performances.),2 or Lord Digby's Elvira (November 1664),3 Thomas Porter's The Carnival (ca 1664). 'The reliance upon an intrigue plot became the chief characteristic in the hands of later writers in this mode, such as Mrs Aphra Behn.'
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Historical Background
1.2. The Stereotype of the Spaniard
1.3. The Playwrights
2. John Dryden
2.1. The Rival Ladies
2.1.1. The Play Itself
2.1.2. The Spanish Setting
2.2. An Evening's Love
2.2.1. The Play Itself
2.2.2. The Spanish Setting
2.2.3. The English versus the Spanish
2.3. The Spanish Friar
2.3.1. The Play Itself
2.3.2. The Spanish Setting
2.3.3. The Issue of Religion
2.3.3.1. The Moor and the Jew
2.3.3.2. The Catholic
3. Aphra Behn
3.1. The Dutch Lover
3.1.1. The Play Itself
3.1.2. The Spanish Setting in Place and Time
3.1.2. The Spanish in Comparison
3.2. The Rover II
3.2.1. The Play Itself
3.2.2. The Spanish Setting
3.2.3. Different Nationalities and Beliefs
3.3. The False Count
3.3.1. The Play Itself
3.3.2. The Spanish Setting
3.3.3. Languages
3.3.4. Religion
4. Mary Pix and The Spanish Wives
4.1. The Play itself
4.2. Place Names Referring to the Spanish Peninsula
4.3. The Characters - Names and Physical Appearance
4.5. The Catholic Element
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Scope
This work examines the representation of the Spanish setting in English Restoration comedies, investigating how playwrights utilized this foreign locale as a narrative device and a vehicle for cultural commentary. The primary research question explores whether a common Spanish setting resulted in shared thematic features and how it influenced the portrayal of religion, national character, and socio-political tensions between England and Spain.
- The influence of Spanish and French intrigue comedies on the Restoration stage.
- The literary construction of the "Spaniard" through national stereotypes.
- The intersection of political and religious conflict (Catholicism, the Popish Plot) with dramatic content.
- Comparative analysis of works by John Dryden, Aphra Behn, and Mary Pix.
- The role of "Spanish" settings as a response to contemporary political trends and audience expectations.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
English Restoration Comedy has long been equated with Comedy of Manners as written by Etherege, Congreve or Wycherley with a setting in London in upper class society. There are exceptions, however. Some comedies are set in the country, as for instance Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer, or in foreign countries such as Italy (Dryden's Secret Love and Behn's The Rover I); some include characters from the lower classes of society, even criminals (Thomas Shadwell's The Squire of Alsatia) or fantastic creatures like witches (Shadwell's The Lancashire Witches).
For this paper the period labelled Restoration Drama has been delimited somewhat arbitrarily by the Restoration itself at the beginning, and the death of Dryden at the end of it. The 1660's, after the re-establishment of the theatrical companies, showed a varied mix of plays, which included performances of the traditional English comedies and tragedies by for instance Shakespeare, Beaumont and Fletcher, Jonson with his humours' comedies, and also their adaptations. A new type of drama was introduced by the Cavaliers returning from their continental exile, containing French or Spanish influences such as from Moliére, or from Spanish intrigue comedy with its highly complicated plot, among the dramatis personae often two young, high-spirited ladies, a gallant and his friend, male adverse authority in the figure of father or brother, roguish attendants, 'honour touched and honour righted ... the comedy of cloak and sword.' (Ward, Cambridge, VIII/5/§15). Van Lennep in his The London Stage (I/cxxii) described it as 'the Spanish romance, based upon a Spanish source, … its emphasis upon a rigid code of conduct, … a plot filled with intrigue, and … one or more high-spirited women in the dramatis personae.'
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Discusses the scope of Restoration drama, the influence of continental styles, and the historical context of Anglo-Spanish relations.
2. John Dryden: Analyzes the use of Spanish settings and intrigue in three of Dryden's comedies, highlighting his transition toward heroic play elements.
3. Aphra Behn: Explores Behn's integration of Spanish intrigue, the satire of Dutch characters, and the influence of commedia dell'arte.
4. Mary Pix and The Spanish Wives: Examines Pix's play as a late-Restoration farce that modifies traditional stereotypes of Spanish life.
5. Conclusion: Synthesizes findings on how the "Spanish setting" functioned more as a flexible theatrical stereotype than a historically accurate representation.
Keywords
Restoration Comedy, John Dryden, Aphra Behn, Mary Pix, Spanish setting, intrigue comedy, national stereotype, Catholicism, Anglo-Spanish relations, drama history, theatre studies, heroic plays, commedia dell'arte, Restoration drama, English literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work focuses on the depiction and functional use of Spanish settings in English Restoration comedies written between 1664 and 1696.
Which playwrights are examined in detail?
The study provides a comparative analysis of three significant authors: John Dryden, Aphra Behn, and Mary Pix.
What is the primary goal of the analysis?
The goal is to determine if a shared Spanish setting induced common features in these plays and to understand how these authors used such settings to engage with contemporary English political and religious issues.
Which scientific methods were applied?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis, evaluating plot structures, the use of stereotypes, historical context, and the influence of contemporary European drama.
What topics are explored in the main part?
The main part analyzes specific plays by each author, focusing on how they present geography, language, religion, and the "Spanish" character type to their audiences.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Restoration Comedy, Spanish setting, literary stereotypes, Dryden, Behn, Pix, and political satire.
How is the "Spanish Friar" treated in the context of the Popish Plot?
The "Spanish Friar" is discussed as a reaction to the Exclusion Crisis, using anti-Catholic sentiments and a comedic double-plot to balance royalist themes.
What role does Mary Pix play in the transition of the genre?
Mary Pix is positioned at the turn of the century, where she simplifies earlier Restoration conventions and introduces more sentimental elements into her farcical comedies.
- Quote paper
- Elisabeth Enzler (Author), 2003, The Spanish Setting in Restoration Comedy, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/31989
