Dryden’s Amphytrion may be seen as part of a cultural tradition which starts from Plautus and passes through Rotrou’s faithful translation and Molière’s brilliant re-elaboration, to arrive at the modern versions by Kleist and Giraudoux. In this series of masterpieces, the attention reserved for Dryden’s comedy has been largely negative: critical reviews generally only point out the greater influence of Molière, list the structural differences and amplifications of the plot, and formulate overall judgments of censure. The essay shows that in Dryden’s play the textual stratification is far more richer than is usually recognized, and reveals in Dryden an extraordinary capacity for assimilation, not only from Molière and Plautus, but also from Rotrou and Heywood and from the Shakespearean model, Othello and Romeo and Juliet, which offer a solid basis for innovation.

Re-writing a Myth: Dryden's Amphitryon and Its Sources

ROSSI LINGUANTI, ELENA
2007-01-01

Abstract

Dryden’s Amphytrion may be seen as part of a cultural tradition which starts from Plautus and passes through Rotrou’s faithful translation and Molière’s brilliant re-elaboration, to arrive at the modern versions by Kleist and Giraudoux. In this series of masterpieces, the attention reserved for Dryden’s comedy has been largely negative: critical reviews generally only point out the greater influence of Molière, list the structural differences and amplifications of the plot, and formulate overall judgments of censure. The essay shows that in Dryden’s play the textual stratification is far more richer than is usually recognized, and reveals in Dryden an extraordinary capacity for assimilation, not only from Molière and Plautus, but also from Rotrou and Heywood and from the Shakespearean model, Othello and Romeo and Juliet, which offer a solid basis for innovation.
2007
ROSSI LINGUANTI, Elena
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11568/113873
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