This thesis is a study of the life and works of Thomas D'Urfey (1653- 1721), a prolific writer of -plays, poetry and operas during the Restoration period. It places him in the context of the theatre of his time and the difficult conditions in which he worked, showing how obscurity of birth and lack of education affected him in his burning desire for success and financial reward. His relationships with great men illustrate the role of the patron in Augustan society, and his long career in the theatre illuminates the principal developments in English drama between 1676 and 1710. The Introduction provides a brief critical survey of the current state of Restoration comedy criticism and of D'Urfey's place in that criticism. Chapters One and Three are primarily biographical; Chapters Two, Four and Five study his plays; Chapter Six takes a broader view of his non-dramatic writing, and Chapter Seven examines his last three comedies and discusses them as precursors of the novel. The final section of Chapter Seven makes some comparisons between Thomas D'Urfey and other dramatists of the period, especially John Dryden, and argues that there is a special interest in the struggle for recognition of an author generally regarded as a failure. The Conclusion summarises the arguments in the thesis for this re-assessment of D'Urfey's interest and importance. Throughout the thesis D'Urfey's work is shown to have many rewards for the modern reader.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:368786 |
| Date | January 1985 |
| Creators | Baker, J. |
| Publisher | University of Birmingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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