CONTENTS.

PAGE

Preface of the Translator....

1

Author's Preface

4

Memoir of the Life of Augustus William Schlegel..

7

LECTURE I.

Introduction-Spirit of True Criticism-Difference of Taste between

the Ancients and Moderns-Classical and Romantic Poetry and

Art-Division of Dramatic Literature; the Ancients, their Imita-

tors, and the Romantic Poets.......

17

LECTURE II.

Definition of the Drama-View of the Theatres of all Nations-The-

atrical Effect-Importance of the Stage-Principal Species of the

Drama

30

43

52

LECTURE III.

Essence of Tragedy and Comedy-Earnestness and Sport-How far

it is possible to become acquainted with the Ancients without

knowing Original Languages-Winkelmann

LECTURE IV.

Structure of the Stage among the Greeks--

Their Acting-Use of

Masks-False comparison of Ancient Tragedy to the Opera—Tra-

gical Lyric Poetry

LECTURE V.

Essence of the Greek Tragedies-- Ideality of the Representation-

Idea of Fate-Source of the Pleasure derived from Tragical Repre-

sentations-Import of the Chorus—The materials of Greek Tragedy

derived from Mythology-Comparison with the Plastic Arts

LECTURE VI.

Progress of the Tragic Art among the Greeks-

Various styles of Tragic

Art-Æschylus-Connexion in a Trilogy of Æschylus-His re-

maining Works..

66

78

LECTURE VII.

Life and Political Character of Sophocles-Character of his different

Tragedies .....

96

vi

CONTENTS.

PAGR

LECTURE VIII.

Euripides — His Merits and Defects Decline of Tragic Poetry

through him.........

111

LECTURE IX.

Comparison between the Choephoræ of Æschylus, the Electra of

Sophocles, and that of Euripides

122

LECTURE X.

Character of the remaining Works of Euripides The Satirical

Drama-Alexandrian Tragic Poets

134

LECTURE XI.

The Old Comedy proved to be completely a contrast to Tragedy-

Parody -- Ideality of Comedy the reverse of that of Tragedy-

Mirthful Caprice — Allegoric and Political Signification - The

Chorus and its Parabases.....

145

LECTURE XII.

Aristophanes-His Character as an Artist–Description and Character

of his remaining Works A Scene, translated from the Acharna,

by way of Appendix..

153

LECTURE XIII.

Whether the Middle Comedy was a distinct species-Origin of the

New Comedy — A mixed species--Its prosaic character-Whe-

ther versification is essential to Comedy-Subordinate kinds

Pieces of Character, and of Intrigue The Comic of observation,

of self-consciousness, and arbitrary Comic-Morality of Comedy 174

LECTURE XIV.

Plautus and Terence as Imitators of the Greeks, here examined and

characterized in the absence of the Originals they copied-Motives

of the Athenian Comedy from Manners and Society--Portrait-Sta-

tues of two Comedians......

188

LECTURE XV.

Roman Theatre-Native kinds : Atellane Fables, Mimes, Comoedia

Togata--Greek Tragedy transplanted to Rome-- Tragic Authors of a

former Epoch, and of the Augustan Age- Idea of a National Roman

Tragedy-Causes of the want of success of the Romans in Tragedy

- Seneca

200

LECTURE XVI.

The Italians—Pastoral Dramas of Tasso and Guarini-Small progress

in Tragedy-Metastasio and Alfieri-Character of both--Comedies

of Ariosto, Aretin, Porta - Improvisatore Masks-Goldoni--Gozzi

Latest state

213

PAGE

LECTURE XVII.

Antiquities of the French Stage Influence of Aristotle and the Imi-

tation of the Ancients--Investigation of the Three Unities-What

is Unity of Action ?-Cnity of Time - Was it observed by the

Greeks 2 -- Unity of Place as connected with it

232

LECTURE XVIII.

Mischief resulting to the French Stage from too narrow Interpreta-

tion of the Rules of Unity-- Intluence of these rules on French

Tragedy-Manner of treating Mythological and Historical Materials

- Idea of Tragical Dignity--Observation of Conventional Rules-

False System of Expositions

253

LECTURE XIX.

Lse at first mule of the Spanish Theatre by the French-General

Character of Corneille, Racine, and Voltaire--- Review of the prin-
cipal Works of Corneille and of Racine Thomas Corneille and

Crebillon

LECTURE XX.

Voltaire-Tragedies on Greek Subjects: (Edipe, Merope, Oreste-

Tragedies on Roman Subjects: Brute, Horte de C'ésar, Catiline,

Le Triumrirat-Earlier Pieces: Zaire, Alzire, Mahomet, Semi-

ramis, and Tancred .........

295

LECTURE XXI.

French Comedy-Molière-Criticism of his Works—Scarron, Bour-

sault, Regnard; Comedies in the Time of the Regency; Marivaux

and Destouches; Piron and Gresset-Later Attempts—The Heroic

Opera: Quinault-Operettes and Vaudevilles–Diderot's attempted

Change of the Theatre--The Weeping Drama--Beaumarchais-

Melo-Dramas-Merits and Defects of the Uistrionic Art................ 304

LECTURE XXII.

Comparison of the English and Spanish Theatres—Spirit of the Ro-

mantic Drama--Shakspeart--His Age and the Circumstances of his

Life

338

LECTURE XXIII.

Ignorance or Learning of Shakspeare-Costume as observed by Shak-

speare, and how far necessary, or may be dispensed with, in the

Drama-Shakspeare the greatest drawer of Character-Vindication

of the genuineness of his pathos--- Play on Words—Moral Delicacy

--Irony-Mixture of the Tragic and Comic-The part of the Fool

or Clown--Shakspeare's Language and Versification

LECTURE XXIV.

Criticisms on Shakspeare's Comedies....

379

LECTURE XXV.

Criticisms on Shakspeare's Tragedies.

ACO

354

PAGE

LECTURE XXVI.

Criticisms on Shakspeare's Historical Dramas

414

LECTURE XXVII.

Two Periods of the English Theatre: the first the most important-

The first Conformation of the Stage, and its Advantages—State of

the Histrionic Art in Shakspeare's Time—Antiquities of Dramatic

Literature-Lilly, Marlow, Heywood-Ben Jonson; Criticism of

his Works—Masques—Beaumont and Fletcher-General Charac-

terization of these Poets, and Remarks on some of their Pieces-

Massinger and other Contemporaries of Charles I.

446

LECTURE XXVIII.

Closing of the Stage by the Puritans—Revival of the Stage under

Charles II.--Depravity of Taste and Morals—Dryden, Otway, and

others—Characterization of the Comic Poets from Wycherley and

Congreve to the Middle of the Eighteenth Century-Tragedies of

the same Period—Rowe--Addison's Cato-Later Pieces-Familiar

Tragedy: Lillo—Garrick-Latest State....

475

LECTURE XXIX.

Spanish Theatre-Its three Periods: Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Cal.

deron-Spirit of the Spanish Poetry in general— Influence of the

National History on it-Form, and various Species of the Spanish

Drama-Decline since the beginning of the Eighteenth Century .... 488

LECTURE XXX.

Origin of the German Theatre—Hans Sachs-Gryphius—The Age of

Gottsched—Wretched Imitation of the French-Lessing, Goethe,

and Schiller-Review of their Works—Their Influence on Chival.

rous Dramas, Affecting Dramas, and Family Pictures-Prospect

for Futurity

506