Genre and Generic Change in English Comedy, 1660-1710

Laila Abdalla is an associate professor of English at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, and former professor at McGill University.

Restoration comedy is often described in generalizations, coming as it
did after a period of dramatic aridity and political instability. The
marked contrast between the lewd, witty, blasphemous, intricately
plotted comedy of the 1670s onward and the closed theatres and
governmental upheaval of the preceding 20 years has prompted critics to
make statements that do not take into consideration the nuances within
the 50 years of the Restoration. This book undertakes the difficult task
of organizing the changes that transpired within that period, and then
of drawing conclusions about the subgenres thereby determined. Corman
focuses his attention on dramatic elements, specifically plot and
character, rather than on what he terms “external influences on
drama.”

The first chapter grapples with the question of what constitutes genre.
Corman is aware of the danger of imposing 20th-century notions of genre
on the 17th century without taking into consideration contemporary
theory. By initiating a dialogue between the two centuries, he develops
a scheme by which Restoration comedy may be viewed in a way that is
relevant to both eras. Thus, the first chapter is itself an interesting
exercise in the complex matter of deciding the meaning of genre and how
to employ generic division.

The focus of the first chapter subsequently allows Corman to divide the
Restoration into three time stages, in which he notes a shift in play
matter. In the following chapters, he chooses plays dating from the
Restoration’s early years, 1670–75; middle years, 1690–95; and
final years, 1705–10. His discussion includes the themes, topoi, and
stock characters of the works, as well as the contemporary reception and
success of the performed play. By including both discussions of the
workings of genre and analysis of specific plays, Corman provides an
approach to Restoration comedy that is balanced and instructive, though
perhaps somewhat introductory for scholars of the period.