What is Sidney’s Assessment of the English Drama of his Time?
An Apology for Poetry is a notable literary work by Philip Sidney. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of An Apology for Poetry.
Answer
What is Sidney’s assessment of the English Drama of his time? Or How does Sidney criticize the existing English Drama? Or According to Sidney, What are the contemporary qualities and faults of English Drama?
Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586) was a prominent Renaissance (1500-1660) poet and critic. In his work “An Apology for Poetry” (1595,) Sidney insightfully analyzes English drama. He compares contemporary English with classical drama, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths of English Drama: Sidney praises English drama for its vibrant and imaginative qualities. He acknowledges that English playwrights brought life and energy to their works. The variety of themes and characters in English plays reflects the richness of human experience and emotions.
Faults in Structure: Sidney points out several structural faults in English drama. He criticizes disregarding the classical unities of time, place, and action. In Poetics Aristotle says about unity of time,
Tragedy endeavours, as far as possible, to confine itself to a single revolution of the sun, or but slightly to exceed this limit.
Unlike Greek and Roman plays, English plays span many years and have multiple locations. This, according to Sidney, weakens the overall impact of the drama. Again he critisizes the English dramas for their mingling of tragic and comic elements. He says,
Their plays be neither right tragedies nor right comedies, mingling kings and clowns.
Lack of Moral Purpose: Sidney also notes that many English plays lacked a clear moral purpose. Classical drama often aims to instruct and improve the audience and offers moral lessons through the actions and fates of the characters. In contrast, Sidney observed that English plays are more concerned with entertainment than moral instruction.
In conclusion, Sidney’s critique of English drama highlights its dynamic and imaginative nature while pointing out its structural flaws and moral shortcomings. By comparing English drama to classical standards, Sidney provided a framework for understanding its strengths and areas for improvement.