Restoration & 18th Century Drama: UGC NET English Guide
Master the theatrical revolution from the witty Comedy of Manners to the emotional Sentimental Comedy for your UGC NET preparation
Introduction to Restoration & 18th Century Drama
The period from 1660-1800 witnessed dramatic transformations in English theater, reflecting societal changes from the bawdy Restoration to the morally earnest 18th century. This guide covers all essential aspects for UGC NET English aspirants.
Why This Unit Matters for UGC NET
Restoration & 18th Century Drama typically carries 2-4 questions in UGC NET English. Key areas include:
- Comedy of Manners vs. Sentimental Comedy
- Major playwrights (Wycherley, Congreve, Goldsmith, Sheridan)
- Theatrical innovations (proscenium stage, female actors)
- Transition from Restoration to Augustan to late 18th century drama
- Anti-sentimental reaction (Goldsmith & Sheridan)
- Licensing Act of 1737 and its impact
Historical Context
The Restoration of Charles II in 1660 marked the reopening of theaters after Puritan rule (1642-1660). Key developments:
- 1660: Theatres reopen after 18-year Puritan ban
- 1660-1700: Flourishing of Restoration Comedy
- 1700-1750: Rise of Sentimental Comedy
- 1737: Licensing Act restricts theatrical performances
- 1770s: Anti-sentimental reaction with Goldsmith & Sheridan
Theatrical Innovations
Proscenium Stage
Picture-frame stage with elaborate scenery and perspective
Female Actors
First professional actresses (Nell Gwyn, Elizabeth Barry)
Patent Theatres
Only Drury Lane and Covent Garden licensed for drama
Move Indoors
Theaters became enclosed, lit by candles
Restoration Comedy (1660-1700)
Characterized by witty dialogue, sexual explicitness, and satire of upper-class manners. Often called "Comedy of Manners."
The most satirical Restoration playwright, known for biting social commentary.
- The Country Wife (1675) - Features the infamous "china scene" and Horner's impotence ruse
- The Plain Dealer (1676) - Adaptation of Molière's Le Misanthrope
- Love in a Wood (1671)
- The Gentleman Dancing-Master (1672)
Master of witty dialogue and sophisticated comedy. Retired after criticism of The Way of the World.
- The Way of the World (1700) - Peak of Restoration comedy with Millamant and Mirabell's "proviso scene"
- Love for Love (1695)
- The Double Dealer (1693)
- The Old Bachelor (1693)
Pioneer of Comedy of Manners, known for elegant wit.
- The Man of Mode (1676) - Features the outrageous Dorimant (based on Rochester)
- She Would If She Could (1668)
- The Comical Revenge (1664)
First professional female playwright, wrote both comedy and tragedy.
- The Rover (1677) - Features the witty Hellena
- The Feigned Courtesans (1679)
- The Lucky Chance (1686)
- Oroonoko (1688) - Early anti-slavery tragedy
Characteristics of Restoration Comedy
- Witty dialogue: Verbal fencing and repartee
- Sexual freedom: Open treatment of adultery and seduction
- Stock characters: Fops, rakes, witty heroines, country bumpkins
- London settings: Focus on aristocratic society
- Marriage plots: Often about avoiding marriage or renegotiating it
- Anti-Puritan: Reaction against previous moral restrictions
Transition to Sentimental Comedy (1700-1750)
As middle-class values grew, drama became more morally earnest, emphasizing virtue and emotional appeal.
Co-founder of The Spectator, pioneered sentimental comedy.
- The Conscious Lovers (1722) - Model of sentimental comedy
- The Tender Husband (1705)
- The Funeral (1701)
Actor-manager and playwright who popularized sentimentalism.
- Love's Last Shift (1696) - Bridge between Restoration and Sentimental comedy
- The Careless Husband (1704)
- The Provoked Husband (1728, completed Vanbrugh's fragment)
Characteristics of Sentimental Comedy
- Moral instruction: Virtue rewarded, vice punished
- Emotional appeal: Designed to evoke tears
- Middle-class values: Domestic virtues emphasized
- Benevolent characters: Good-hearted protagonists
- Reformed rakes: Wild youths who see the error of their ways
- Pathetic scenes: Distress followed by happy endings
Jeremy Collier's Attack (1698)
In A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage, Collier attacked:
- Swearing and blasphemy in plays
- Mockery of clergy
- Portrayal of vice as admirable
- This critique contributed to the shift toward sentimentalism
Anti-Sentimental Reaction (1770s)
Oliver Goldsmith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan led a return to laughing comedy.
Advocated for "laughing comedy" over sentimentalism in his essay "A Comparison Between Laughing and Sentimental Comedy" (1773).
- She Stoops to Conquer (1773) - Classic anti-sentimental comedy with Tony Lumpkin
- The Good-Natur'd Man (1768)
Master of wit and dramatic construction, last great playwright before the 19th century.
- The Rivals (1775) - Features Mrs. Malaprop and her "malapropisms"
- The School for Scandal (1777) - Satire on gossip and hypocrisy
- The Critic (1779) - Parody of sentimental drama
- The Duenna (1775) - Comic opera
Characteristics of Anti-Sentimental Comedy
- Restoration elements: Wit, intrigue, verbal humor
- Less cynical: More good-natured than Restoration comedy
- Strong plots: Carefully constructed dramatic situations
- Eccentric characters: Tony Lumpkin, Mrs. Malaprop, Sir Anthony Absolute
- Satire of sentimentalism: Especially in The Critic
18th Century Tragedy
While less prominent than comedy, tragedy developed distinctive forms:
Heroic Drama
Grandiose plays in rhymed couplets (Dryden's All for Love)
Domestic Tragedy
Middle-class protagonists (Lillo's The London Merchant)
She-Tragedy
Focus on suffering female protagonists (Rowe's The Fair Penitent)
Major Restoration dramatist who wrote both comedy and tragedy.
- All for Love (1677) - Blank verse adaptation of Antony and Cleopatra
- Marriage à la Mode (1672) - Tragicomedy
- The Conquest of Granada (1670) - Heroic drama
Pioneered bourgeois tragedy with middle-class protagonists.
- The London Merchant (1731) - Moralistic tragedy about an apprentice
- Fatal Curiosity (1736)
Historical Timeline
Restoration of Charles II - Theatres reopen
Golden age of Restoration comedy - Etherege, Wycherley
Jeremy Collier's attack on stage immorality
Congreve's The Way of the World - Last great Restoration comedy
Rise of Sentimental comedy - Steele's The Conscious Lovers
Licensing Act restricts theatrical performances
Anti-sentimental reaction - Goldsmith & Sheridan
UGC NET Preparation Tips
Important Questions to Focus On
- Compare Comedy of Manners and Sentimental Comedy
- Analyze the "proviso scene" in The Way of the World
- Discuss Goldsmith's critique of sentimental comedy
- Compare Wycherley's and Congreve's treatment of marriage
- Analyze Sheridan's satire in The School for Scandal
- Discuss the significance of the Licensing Act of 1737
- Trace the evolution from Restoration to 18th century drama
- Analyze Aphra Behn's contribution to English drama
Recommended Study Approach
- Read at least one play from each major type (Restoration, Sentimental, Anti-Sentimental)
- Make comparative charts of different comic styles
- Study key scenes (proviso scene, china scene, screen scene)
- Practice writing character sketches of memorable figures (Millamant, Mrs. Malaprop, etc.)
- Solve previous years' UGC NET questions on this unit
Memory Aid: Restoration & 18th Century Drama at a Glance
Restoration Comedy: Wycherley (Country Wife), Congreve (Way of the World), Behn (The Rover)
Sentimental Comedy: Steele (Conscious Lovers), Cibber (Love's Last Shift)
Anti-Sentimental: Goldsmith (She Stoops), Sheridan (School for Scandal)
Concepts: Comedy of Manners, Licensing Act, Proviso Scene, Malapropism
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