Concetti Chiave
- The Restoration comedy, or comedy of manners, emerged in 1660, emphasizing sophisticated social satire over Renaissance tragedy.
- Influenced by Molière's French comedies, Italian "Commedia dell’arte," and Spanish playwright Calderon de la Barca, it exaggerated upper-class manners and morals.
- Unlike Renaissance drama aimed at all social classes, Restoration comedy targeted the refined upper classes, highlighting wit and elegance in dialogue.
- This era's theatre reflected opulence and leisure, with themes of adultery and gambling, contrasting with Puritan austerity.
- Post-1660 theatre saw innovations in stage design and lighting, with roofed venues, painted sets, and female actors replacing boys in women's roles.
Among the most important European influences were the French comedies of Molière (1622-73) whose "Les Precieuses Ridicules"(1659), a satire upon an excessively fashionable and sophisticated circle in Paris,is considered the beginning of the Comedy of Manners tradition.
Restoration comedies were also influenced by Italian "Commedia dell’arte" ,a type of popular comedy featuring absurd characters which developed in Italy in the 16th century, and by the Spanish playwright "Calderon de la barca"(1600-81).A remarkable difference to Reinassance drama was the type of audience the comedy of manners was addressed to. While Shakespeare’s plays in particular were intended to please people from all social classes and education, Restoration plays were generally restricted to people of fashion and refinement from the upper classes. With emphasis on wit or quick humour and elegance of speech, Restoration comedy was inevitably more superficial, although the finest examples of the genre are able to show the human situation under the mask of sophistication.
In general, the aesthetic values of the Restoration were in marked contrast to the austerity of Puritanism. Both men and women began to cultivate their appearance and took to wearing elaborate wigs and clothes. Those who had the means lived a life of luxury and leisure. Pastimes included casual adultery, gambling and fighting duels. All of this was reflected in the tone and subject matter of the plays produced at this time. Another difference to Renaissance theatre regarded the numerous changes in stage design and in the acting profession itself. After 1660 the original Elizabethan theatre disappeared and was replaced by a style which moved progressively in the direction of theatre design as we know it today. Theatre now were roofed ,had painted sets and began to develop more sophisticated ways of stage lighting. More over, woman actors were employed, replacing the boys who used to take women’s roles during shakespeare’s time.
Domande da interrogazione
- ¿Qué cambios culturales y artísticos ocurrieron tras la abolición de las leyes puritanas?
- ¿Cuáles fueron las influencias europeas en la comedia de costumbres?
- ¿Cómo se diferenciaba el público de la comedia de costumbres del de la época del Renacimiento?
La abolición de las leyes puritanas llevó a un clima artístico y cultural más decadente para las clases altas, reabriendo los teatros en 1660 y dando lugar a un nuevo tipo de teatro más ligero, conocido como la comedia de costumbres.
Las comedias francesas de Molière, la "Commedia dell’arte" italiana y el dramaturgo español Calderón de la Barca fueron influencias importantes en la comedia de costumbres.
A diferencia de las obras de Shakespeare, que buscaban agradar a todas las clases sociales, las comedias de la Restauración estaban dirigidas principalmente a personas de moda y refinamiento de las clases altas.
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