Although Johnson's achievements as a journalist, lexicographer, and critic have been given considerable attention, his career as a dramatist has been largely overlooked. But Johnson's tragedy Irene deserves the consideration given in this study to its sources, theatrical history, and influence on Johnson's later writing. At twenty-six, to begin his first major work, Johnson relied on the earlier versions of the story of Mahomet II's Greek captive, especially Richard Knolle's Generall Historie of the Turkes, William Barksted's Hiren or the faire Greek, and Gilbert Swinhoe's The Tragedy of the Unhappy Fair Irene. Additionally, he turned to the homiletic tragedies of the sixteenth century to flesh out his portrayal of apostasy. / Between 1736 and 1749, Johnson worked on the play extensively, creating at least four rough drafts which demonstrate his ability to turn disparate sources into his own original work. These drafts provide important insights into Johnson's writing process and the maturation of his ideas. And, the thematic and structural decisions that he made for the revisions had a major impact on the view of the drama expressed in his later criticism. His appreciation of plays which could "make the world better" and which contain domestic situations was developed through his tragedy. While Johnson learned from writing Irene, he also gained insights into the theatre from the contemporary reactions to it. Although many reviewers approved of Johnson's moral emphasis, they objected to his formal dialogue and use of the dramatic unities. Their opinions contributed to Johnson's decision to criticize these theatrical traditions in his later writing. / Not only is Irene valuable as an indication of Johnson's methods of composition and his dramatic theory, but also it is a worthy example of eighteenth-century tragedy. Although the play has not been well received since its production, and it has been frequently denounced as a simplistic early project, it should be recognized as a penetrating view of the complexity of men and women. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: A, page: 1155. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74439 |
| Contributors | ADAMS, KATHERINE HODGES., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 249 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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