If the age of the Restoration
(1660-1700) is one of the most splendid periods in the annals of English drama,
it is primarily on account of the comedy of manners. This kind of
comedy-brilliant, witty, albeit a little licentious here and there-was an
authentic reflection of the society of the age. The so-called heroic tragedy
which had a brief run concurrently with the comedy of manners had also a
modicum of popularity, but was too stilted and artificial and. to some extent,
merely a transplant from the French soil. A heroic tragedy of the Restoration
(for example, Dryden's The Conquest of Granada or Tyrannic
Love) is much less representative of the ethos of Restoration society
than a comedy of manners.
What is a Heroic
Play?:
A heroic play (and most heroic plays
end unhappily, and hence are tragedies), like a heroic poem or an epic, is
generally built around a larger-than-life heroic warrior who is a master both
of swordsmanship and stagy rhetoric. The hero is almost invariably a
"king, prince, or an army general. The plot of the play involves the fate
of an empire. Gallantry, adventure, love-and honour are the usual themes of
heroic plays. The principal conflict faced by the hero is between love and
honour. The writers of heroic plays aimed at the effects of intensity and
sublimity and were keen to arouse in the audience admiration rfrore
than the specific tragic emotions of pity and fear. The diction and verse used
by them were in accordance with their aim. They mostly used rhymed pentameter
couplets (heroic couplets) which were quite artificial but could be
impressively declamatory. For impressing the audience even more, elaborate
stage scenery and even live animals were used by theatre managers.
Little wonder then if heroic drama managed to rival the Restoration comedy of
manners in popularity.
