The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mirror of Taste, and Dramatic Censor,
Vol. I, No. 4, April 1810, by Various

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Title: The Mirror of Taste, and Dramatic Censor, Vol. I, No. 4, April 1810

Author: Various

Editor: Stephen Cullen Carpenter

Release Date: October 18, 2008 [EBook #26954]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE MIRROR OF TASTE,

AND

DRAMATIC CENSOR.

Vol. I APRIL 1810. No. 4.

HISTORY OF THE STAGE.

CHAPTER IV.

ORIGIN OF COMEDY--ARISTOPHANES--DEATH OF SOCRATES.

Though the term "tragedy" has from the first productions of AEschylus to
the present time, been exclusively appropriated to actions of a serious
nature and melancholy catastrophe, there is reason to believe that it
originally included also exhibitions of a pleasant, or comic kind. The
rude satires, and gross mummery which occupied the stage, or rather the
cart, of Thespis, were certainly calculated to provoke mirth in the
multitude. By what has already been shown, the reader is apprised that
the word, in its original sense, bore no relation whatever to those
passions and subjects, to the representations of which it is now
applied; but meant simply a dramatic action performed at the feast of
the goat, in honour of Bacchus. Thus the different provinces of the
drama then undistinguished, were confounded under one term, and
constituted the prime trunk from which sprung forth the two branches of
tragedy and comedy separately--the first in point of time usurping the
original title of the parent stock, and retaining it ever after.

Why human creatures should take delight in witnessing fictitious
representations of the anguish and misfortunes of their fellow-beings,
in tragedy, and, in comedy of those follies, foibles and imperfections
which degrade their nature, is a question which many have asked, but few
have been able to answer. The facts are admitted. Towards a solution of
their causes, let us consider what is said on the subject of