On The Artificial Comedy Of The Last Century by Charles Lamb (Summary & Analysis)

 

On The Artificial Comedy Of The Last Century

by Charles Lamb

(Summary & Analysis) 

Summary

In "On The Artificial Comedy Of The Last Century," Charles Lamb talks about how comedy of manners, or artificial comedy, declined in the 18th century. He says that people of that time didn't enjoy these plays anymore because they didn't align with their moral values. These plays showed characters behaving in flirtatious and deceptive ways without facing any serious consequences. Lamb believes that the audience had strict moral standards and couldn't see these characters as fictional or enjoy the play without applying real-life morals to them.

Lamb compares artificial comedy to the new type of drama that replaced it, which he finds more harmful. In this type of drama, the moral message is everything, and the characters and events are relatable to real life. The audience brings their own moral judgments and concerns to the theater, making it hard to separate fiction from reality. Lamb argues that this change removes the middle ground between good and bad, and there are no neutral characters or situations that aren't judged morally. 

He also suggests that artificial comedy, as shown in plays by Congreve and Wycherley, exists in its own world, separate from the moral framework of reality. The characters in these plays are promiscuous and immoral, driven only by their pursuit of pleasure. However, in their own world, their actions don't offend moral values or affect real-life institutions like family or marriage. Lamb believes that these characters aren't judged morally because they exist in a realm of pure comedy where morals don't apply.

Lamb expresses his liking for artificial comedy, especially plays like Congreve's "The Way of the World." He says that reading them makes him feel happier and more refreshed. He appreciates how these plays skillfully exclude good characters or any pretense of goodness, allowing people to purely enjoy the witty and humorous parts. However, he recognizes that blending artificial and sentimental comedy, as seen in Sheridan's "The School for Scandal," can be problematic.

In conclusion, Lamb is saddened by the disappearance of artificial comedy and the loss of talented actors like John Palmer, who could portray characters like Joseph Surface with a delightful mix of charm and villainy. He suggests that in today's serious and morally judgmental age, such characters would need to be completely villainous, without any redeeming qualities, to satisfy the audience's expectations. Blending artificial and sentimental elements in modern plays would require a different approach to make them acceptable to contemporary sensibilities.

Analysis

Charles Lamb's essay, "On The Artificial Comedy Of The Last Century," talks about comedy in the early 19th century. He says that the kind of comedy that was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries is no longer performed. Playwrights like Congreve and Farquhar, who wrote funny and satirical comedies, are not appreciated anymore. 

Lamb thinks that the reason for the decline of this kind of comedy is that people in his time have become more strict about morals. They don't tolerate anything that goes against their moral standards. The characters in these plays, who used to be seen as witty and charming, are now judged using the same standards as real people. People have lost the ability to see these characters as fictional and instead judge them like they would judge real-life actions.

Lamb believes that as artificial comedy declined, sentimental comedy became more popular. Sentimental comedy focuses on morals and relationships, reflecting real-life concerns. Lamb thinks that this kind of comedy is not as imaginative and fun as artificial comedy because it reinforces society's norms and moral judgments instead of providing an escape from them.

Lamb really likes artificial comedy and the characters created by writers like Congreve and Wycherley. He appreciates that these characters are amoral and vain without appealing to his own sense of morals. They exist in a world where traditional moral codes don't matter, and their actions don't have real-life consequences. Lamb enjoys the imaginative and escapist nature of these plays, which is different from the moral lessons of sentimental comedy.

In the end, Lamb talks about how the audience's tastes have changed and how it has affected the theater. He is sad that actors like John Palmer, who brought complexity to characters like Joseph Surface in "The School for Scandal," are not appreciated anymore. Lamb thinks that today's audiences want characters who are clearly good or bad, without any ambiguity. This takes away the interesting and complex aspects of these characters. 

Overall, Lamb's essay discusses the decline of artificial comedy, the rise of sentimental comedy, and the changes in moral standards that have influenced the theater. He prefers the imaginative and morally ambiguous world of artificial comedy over the moralizing nature of sentimental comedy, and he looks back nostalgically on the past.