British Drama: An Historical Survey from the Beginnings to the Present TimeThomas Y. Crowell Company, 1925 - 486 pages |
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acted action actors appear artificial atmosphere attempt audience become called century characters chief clearly close comedy comes comic critics deal death dialogue display drama dramatists earlier early efforts elements Elizabethan emotions English example excellent expression fact father figure followed forces give given hand heart hero heroic human humour important influence interest introduced Italy John King lack Lady later less manners marked means mind moral move movement nature never once passion performed perhaps period pieces plays playwrights plot poetic poets popular present printed problem produced realistic rise romantic satire scenes seems seen sentimental serious Shakespeare shows similar social spirit stage stand story style success taken theatre theatrical theme things thought tragedy tragic true whole wife women writers written
Popular passages
Page 126 - The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils ; The motions of his spirit are dull as night, And his affections dark as Erebus. Let no such man be trusted.
Page 151 - That the argument of his comedy might have been of some other nature, as of a duke to be in love with a countess, and that countess to be in love with the duke's son, and the son to love the lady's waiting-maid : some such cross wooing, with a clown to their servingman, better than to be thus near, and familiarly allied to the time.
Page 412 - The wind blows out of the gates of the day, The wind blows over the lonely of heart, And the lonely of heart is withered away...
Page 404 - I'll have no call now to be up crying and praying when the wind RIDERS TO THE SEA 89 breaks from the south, and you can hear the surf is in the east, and the surf is in the west, making a great stir with the two noises, and they hitting one on the other.
Page 81 - And I will combat with weak Menelaus, And wear thy colours on my plumed crest; Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel, And then return to Helen for a kiss. Oh! thou art fairer than the evening air Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars...
Page 151 - As when some one peculiar quality Doth so possess a man, that it doth draw All his affects, his spirits, and his powers, In their confluctions, all to run one way, This may be truly said to be a humour.
Page 438 - I sing, not arms and the hero, but the philosophic man: he who seeks in contemplation to discover the inner will of the world, in invention to discover the means of fulfilling that will, and in action to do that will by the so-discovered means.
Page 84 - And there in mire and puddle have I stood This ten days' space; and, lest that I should sleep, One plays continually upon a drum. They give me bread and water, being a king; So that, for want of sleep and sustenance, My mind's distempered, and my body's numb'd, And whether I have limbs or no I know not.
Page 183 - Faith, my lord, a country lady, a little bashful at first, as most of them are ; but after the first kiss, my lord, the worst is past with them.
Page 79 - Our souls, whose faculties can comprehend The wondrous architecture of the world, And measure every wandering planet's course, Still climbing after knowledge infinite, And always moving as the restless spheres, Will us to wear ourselves, and never rest, Until we reach the ripest fruit of all, That perfect bliss and sole felicity, The sweet fruition of an earthly crown.