Anti Sentimental comedy

Name: Darshangi Andharia

Paper: 02 The Neo classical Literature 

Topic: Anti Sentimental Comedy 

Sem: III, part II

Year: 2012-2013 

 Submitted to,

 Dr.Dilip Barad, 

 M.k.Bhavnagar University,

 Bhavnagar.

Sentimental comedy:-

          It is a kind of comedy that achieves some popularity with respectable middle class audience in the 18^th century. In contrast with the aristocratic cynicism of English restoration comedy, it’s plots usually involving unbelievably good middle class couples, emphasized pathos rather than humor. Pioneered by Richard Steel in the Funeral. And this pious moralizing of the tradition, which survived into melodrama, was opposed in the 1770s by Sheridan and Goldsmith who attempted a partial return to the comedy of manners.

                                                            (Dictionary of Literary terms)

            Sentimental comedy is related to our emotions. It appeals especially to our fallings of sorrow, pity, and compassionate sympathy. Sentimental comedies reflected contemporary philosophical conceptions of human as inherent good but capable of being led astray through bad example. By an appeal to his noble to his sentiments, a man could be reform and set back on the path of virtue. Although the plays contained characters whose natures seemed overly virtues, and whose trails were too easily resolved, they were nonetheless accepted by audiences as truthful representation of the human predicament. Sentimental comedy had its roots in early 18^th century tragedy, which had a vein of morality similar to that of sentimental comedy but had loftier character and subject matter than sentimental comedy. The best known sentimental comedy is Richard Steel’s The conscious Lovers, which deals with the trials and tribulations of its penniless heroine. In contrast Anti sentimental comedy returns to comedy of manners.

 Comedy of Manners:-

               It is kind of comedy representing complex and sophisticated code of behavior current in fashionable circles of society, where appearance count for more than true moral character. Its plot usually revolves around intrigues of lust and greed, the self interested cynicism of the characters being masked by decorous pretense  Oliver Goldsmith’s “SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER” and Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s “THE RIVALS”& “SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL “are from the Anti sentimental comedy.

Oliver Goldsmith’s “The Vicar of Wake field  “The Deserted Village” are respectively in the front rank of 18^th century novels, poems and plays.

She Stoops to Conquer

  Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle live in an old house that resembles an inn, and they are waiting for the arrival of Marlow’s son of Mr. Hardcastle's old friend and a possible suitor to his daughter Kate. Kate is very close to her father, so much so that she dresses plainly in the evenings (to suit his conservative tastes) and fancifully in the mornings for her friends. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hardcastle’s niece Constance is in the old woman's care, and has her small inheritance (consisting of some valuable jewels) held until she is married, hopefully to Mrs. Hardcastle's spoiled son from an earlier marriage, Tony Lumpkin The problem is that neither Tony nor Constance loves the other, and in fact Constance has a beloved, who will be traveling to the house that night with Marlow. When Marlow and Hastings arrive, they are impertinent and rude with Hardcastle, whom they think is a landlord and not a host. Then Hardcastle and Kate each confused with the side of Marlow they saw. Where Hardcastle is shocked at his impertinence, Kate is disappointed to have seen only modesty. At the end the truth coming to light, and everyone happy. Sir Charles has arrived, and he and Hastings laugh together over the confusion young Marlow was in. Marlow arrives to apologize, and in the discussion over Kate, claims he barely talked to Kate. Hardcastle accuses him of lying, since Hardcastle saw him embrace Kate and Marlow reveals his truly good character, and after some discussion, everyone agrees to the match. All are happy and the "mistakes of a night" have been corrected.

The Rivals

            By Sheridan

            The play is set in Bath, Somerset England in the mid century and revolved around two reach young lovers, Lydia and Jack, who reads a lot of popular novels of the time, wants a purely romantic love affair. Lydia is enthralled with the idea of eloping with poor soldier in spite of her guardian. Mrs. Malaprop is the chief comic figure of the play. In the end of the play Jack is presented to Lydia by mrs. Malaprop as son to sir Antony and heir to his wealth, where he secretly assures Lydia that he is only masquerading as sir Antony’s son so that he may marry her after that he meet up with Lucius and gets in a quarrel with him and they agree to meet Beverly.

          At the end, all secrets are found out at the duel because Mrs.Malaprop rushes to the duel in fear for their lovers lives trying to stop it before it starts. Lucius discovers that Mrs.Malaprop has been disguises herself as Delia and both infuriated and embarrassed and leaves. Lydia admits her love for Jack and Julia makes up with her lover Falkland. In the end acres invites everyone to a party and they all go to celebrate.