00034—How does Neander (a character in Dryden’s 'Essay of Dramatic Poesy') or Dryden himself defend English dramatists and plead for freedom from rigorous classical principles and practices?

Dryden in the person of Neander rises up in defence of English Dramatists and strongly pleads that English dramatists are fully justified in not slavishly accepting the classical principles in many respects.  They have developed their own principles and proved themselves to be superior to the Greek and French dramatists in many ways.

In the first place, French drama, whether comic or tragic, lacks in emotion and fashion.  English dramatists surpass them in both.  English tragedies produce fear and pity more powerfully, and their comedies excel in producing delightful humour and romantic love.

Secondly, Neander defends the vogue of tragi-comedies in English.  He does not agree with Lisideius that it is unnatural to change over from a tragic scene to a comic one or vice versa.  A scene is comprehended and enjoyed by human mind and soul, and not by human organs.  Those who object to this shifting of scenes seem to presume “the soul to be heavier than the senses.”  Furthermore, it is well known that “contraries, when placed near, set off each other.”  Neander says, “We have invented, increased, and perfected a more pleasant way of writing for the stage than was ever known to the ancients or moderns of any nation, which is tragic-comedy.

Thirdly, he defends the insertion of under-plots which highlight the main plot.  Coming to the dramatic unities of time and place, he says that their observance might adversely affect the total impact of a play.  It is unbelievable that sufficient incidents and situations may arise at a single spot within the compass of twenty-four hours only to provide sufficient material for the plot of a good play. 

Finally, coming to Shakespeare, he says, “He was the man who of all modern, and perhaps ancient poets, had the largest and most comprehensive soul.  He was naturally learned: he needed not the spectacles of books to read nature; he looked inwards and found her there.”

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