Gender, Theatre, and the Origins of Criticism From Dryden to Manley [Hardcover]

An exploration of the theoretical and literary legacy of Dryden to a number of prominent women writers of the time.Marcie Frank explores the theoretical and literary legacy of John Dryden to a number of prominent women writers of the time. Frank examines the pre-eminence of gender, sexuality and the theatre in Dryden's critical texts that are predominantly rewritings of the work of his own literary precursors - Ben Jonson, Shakespeare and Milton. She proposes that Dryden develops a native literary tradition that is passed on as an inheritance to his heirs--Aphra Behn, Catharine Trotter, and Delarivier Manley--as well as to their male contemporaries.Marcie Frank explores the theoretical and literary legacy of John Dryden to a number of prominent women writers of the time. Frank examines the pre-eminence of gender, sexuality and the theatre in Dryden's critical texts that are predominantly rewritings of the work of his own literary precursors - Ben Jonson, Shakespeare and Milton. She proposes that Dryden develops a native literary tradition that is passed on as an inheritance to his heirs--Aphra Behn, Catharine Trotter, and Delarivier Manley--as well as to their male contemporaries.Marcie Frank explores the theoretical and literary legacy of John Dryden to a number of prominent women writers of his time. Frank examines the pre-eminence of gender, sexuality and the theater in Dryden's critical texts that are predominantly rewritings of the work of his own literary precursors--Ben Jonson, Shakespeare and Milton. She proposes that Dryden develops a native literary tradition that is passed on as an inheritance to his heirs--Aphra Behn, Catharine Trotter, and Delarivier Manley--as well as to their male contemporaries.Acknowledgments; Introduction: the critical stage; 1. 'Equal to ourselves': John Dryden's national literary history; 2. Staging criticism, staging Milton: John Dryden's The State of Innocence; 3. Imitating Shakespeare: gender and criticism; 4. The female playwlÓH