<p>This thesis is an examination of Farquhar's works, with an emphasis on major characterization. Such an analysis has not been done to my knowledge, and Farquhar's writing lends itself especially well to a search for the development of one man's art. In Chapter I, the setting in which Farquhar's works were presented is sketched out, as well as Farquhar's ideas about the creation of comedy, as discussed in his "Discourse upon Comedy". Chapter II deals with Farquhar's first play, Love and a Bottle, and its introduction of the basic four character pattern of rake-hero, his more sentimental friend, free-spirited coquette, and chaste maiden. The Constant Couple, a more polished attempt of what was set forth in Love and a Bottle combined with a manners style reminiscent of Congreve, is discussed in Chapter III. Chapter IV examines a problematic play, The Twin-Rivals, and searches for the reasons for this play's lack of success. With Chapter V the introduction of a more natural setting into Farquhar's plays is explored. Farquhar branches out into something different from the popular plays of the period in the rustic The Recruiting Officer with its country setting and military theme. The Beaux Stratagem represents the happy combination of city wit and graceful naturalness in a work which was entertaining as well as fresh. In conclusion, Farquhar's use of morality is discussed, as is his connection with other playwrights. This thesis, then, tries to discover what Farquhar did and perhaps did not do to make his plays popular, and what makes his work stand out as individual and worthwhile.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/9628 |
| Date | January 1977 |
| Creators | Brown, Krehbiel Karen |
| Contributors | Morton, Richard, English |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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