Knowra Comedy of manners Comedy of manners A comic dramatic genre that satirizes the behavior, values, and social conventions of an upper class, often through witty dialogue and intricate social schemes.
Wit : A form of verbal intelligence expressed through sharp, inventive, and often humorous language. Clever repartee exposes vanity and social pretension in the genre’s dialogue.
The Way of the World : William Congreve’s 1700 comedy about courtship, money, and reputation in fashionable London society. Its intricate marriage bargain and polished dialogue exemplify Restoration manners comedy.
Restoration comedy : English stage comedy written after the monarchy was restored in 1660, often marked by sexual intrigue and social wit. Comedy of manners flourished in its English theatrical form after theaters reopened.
Dramatic irony : A situation in which the audience knows something that one or more characters do not. Hidden identities and mistaken beliefs let audiences anticipate social embarrassment.
Farce : A comedy built on improbable situations, exaggerated characters, and physical or verbal confusion. Farce favors escalating absurdity, while manners comedy targets recognizable social conventions.
Satire : A mode of criticism that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to expose folly or vice. The genre’s comedy depends on making social behavior an object of criticism.
The School for Scandal : Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 1777 comedy about gossip, reputation, and hypocrisy among the wealthy. Its scandal-making circle turns reputation into the central comic currency.
Molière : A French playwright of the seventeenth century whose comedies satirized hypocrisy, pretension, and social behavior. His stage comedies helped establish a durable model for satirizing social types.
Mistaken identity : A plot device in which one person is confused with another or misrecognized. Misrecognition destabilizes status and courtship while exposing characters’ assumptions.
Comedy of humours : A dramatic form in which characters are dominated by a single temperament or personality trait. Its focus on individual imbalance differs from manners comedy’s scrutiny of social codes.
Show all 25