Munns, Jessica (1980) A critical study of Thomas Otway's plays. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The later tragedies of Thomas Otway have frequently been
regarded as forerunners of the pathetic mode. Such a view has
rested in part on neglect of the comedies which are acknowledged to
be unsentimental and harsh. The analysis of all his known plays
undertaken in this thesis reveals that although the comedies are
works of lesser density than the tragedies they are related to the
tragedies in terms of common thematic concerns, plot structures,
character types and imagery.
Here it is further argued that Otway intimates an absolute
morality which is registered through depictions of moral violations
and conveys a pessimistic view of man's ability to live in terms of
a moral framework. A profound sense of disorder permeates his
works which show man regressing down the Chain of Being towards
primitive and animal states of existence. This Otway diagnoses as
stemming from fallen man's divided nature and a destructive interaction
between physical and rational impulses. The plays illustrate this by
depictions of the erosion of man 1s rational faculties and the collapse,
mockery or misuse of the institutions, ceremonies and rituals which
enshrine a common morality.
Otway began working within the heroic mode but gradually
liberated himself from its assumption of human potential for greatness.
His later works are broadly based examinations of human nature in
terms of the individual and society as a whole. It is suggested that
his work as a comic writer provided him with a wide range of literary
techniques and social concerns. Otway is seen as combining the
literary styles and some of the philosophic ideas of his period into
a uniquely flexible whole Which produced emotionally and intellectually
satisfying drama.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PR English literature
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Otway, Thomas, 1652-1685 -- Criticism and interpretation, Moral conditions in literature
Official Date:	December 1980
Dates:	Date Event December 1980 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Hughes, Derek, 1944-
Extent:	396 p.
Language:	eng
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/4375

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