The Art of Wit: Comedy of Manners and Repartee Comedy of Manners and Witty Repartee was a form of comedy that flourished during the Restoration period in...
Comedy of Manners and Witty Repartee was a form of comedy that flourished during the Restoration period in England, from 1660 to 1740. It was a witty and subversive genre that targeted social norms, hypocrisy, and the rigid social hierarchy of the time.
Key elements of this comedy included:
Parody: Writers would take existing songs, plays, and poems and rewrote them with clever wordplay and witty repartee. This could involve poking fun at social customs, criticizing political figures, or highlighting the contradictions within society.
Subversion: The witty repartee often aimed to challenge the conventions of the time. This could involve questioning authority figures, mocking social norms, or exposing hypocrisy.
Audience engagement: Comedians actively engaged with the audience, encouraging laughter through improvisation, witty banter, and lively stage presence. This created a sense of intimacy between the performer and the audience.
Examples of Comedy of Manners and Witty Repartee:
Henry Howard's "The Humble Procrustean" (1691), where the author satirizes a pompous social climber, showcasing the absurdity of social climbing.
John Dryden's "Mac Flecknoe" (1698), a witty retelling of Shakespeare's "Othello," highlighting social prejudice and hypocrisy.
Thomas Hobbes's "The Anatomy of Wit" (1684), a scathing critique of social conventions and the pursuit of knowledge.
The legacy of Comedy of Manners and Witty Repartee was profound. It helped to challenge social norms, promote critical thinking, and provide a platform for marginalized voices. This comedic tradition continues to influence British comedy to this day