George Villiers (1) (1628–1687)
Author of Restoration Plays
For other authors named George Villiers, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Image credit: George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham. Wikimedia Commons.
Works by George Villiers
Plays, Poems, and Miscellaneous Writings associated with George Villiers, Second Duke of Buckingham: Two-volume Set (v.… (2007) 2 copies
Plays, poems, and miscellaneous writings associated with George Villiers, Second Duke of Buckingham, volume I (2007) 2 copies
[Two plays] 1 copy
Poems 1 copy
Associated Works
The Plays of David Garrick, Volume 5: Garrick's Alterations of Others, 1742 - 1750 (1982) — Contributor — 4 copies
The plays of David Garrick. 6, Garrick's alterations of others, 1751 - 1756 (1982) — Contributor — 3 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1628-01-30
- Date of death
- 1687-04-16
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Reviews
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Statistics
- Works
- 14
- Also by
- 4
- Members
- 228
- Popularity
- #98,697
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 2
- ISBNs
- 18
- Languages
- 1
In the preface to the printed version of The Conquest of Granada, Dryden scolds his fellow dramatists for having immoral heroes and low sentiments, and he proposes a new type of theater, the "heroic drama." Buckingham's play is, in a sense, the old theater biting him back. In The Rehearsal, a director/author attempts to put on a new play, and he lectures his actors and critics with impossible and absurd instructions on the importance of what they are doing.
The Rehearsal infuriated Dryden, and it is not possible to see the satire without some political cause or effect. (Dryden would not forget the satire, and he made Buckingham into the figure of Zimri in his Absalom and Achitophel.) However, for readers and viewers what was most delightful was the way that Buckingham effectively punctures the puffed up bombast of Dryden's plays. By taking Dryden's own words out of context and pasting them together, Buckingham disrupts whatever emotions that might have gone with them originally and exposes their inherent absurdity.… (more)