The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Growth of English Drama, by Arnold Wynne

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Title: The Growth of English Drama

Author: Arnold Wynne

Release Date: July 10, 2006 [eBook #18799]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

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THE GROWTH OF ENGLISH DRAMA

by

ARNOLD WYNNE, M.A.

Oxford
At the Clarendon Press
Printed in England
At the Oxford University Press
by John Johnson
Printer to the University
Impression of 1927
First edition, 1914

PREFACE

In spite of the fact that an almost superabundant literature of
exposition has gathered round early English drama, there is, I believe,
still room for this book. Much criticism is available. But the student
commonly searches through it in vain for details of the plots and
characters, and specimens of the verse, of interludes and plays which
time, opportunity, and publishers combine to withhold from him. Notable
exceptions to this generalization exist. Such are Sir A.W. Ward's
monumental _English Dramatic Literature_, and that delightful volume,
J.A. Symonds' _Shakespeare's Predecessors_; but the former extends its
survey far beyond the limits of early drama, while the latter too often
passes by with brief mention works concerning which the reader would
gladly hear more. Some authors have written very fully, but upon only a
section of pre-Shakespearian dramatic work. Of others it may generally
be said that their purposes limit to criticism their treatment of all
but the best known plays. The present volume attempts a more
comprehensive plan. It presents, side by side with criticism, such data
as may enable the reader to form an independent judgment. Possibly for
the first time in a book of this scope almost all the plays of the
University Wits receive separate consideration, while such familiar
titles as _Hick Scorner_, _Gammer Gurton's Needle_, and _The Misfortunes
of Arthur_ cease to be mere names appended to an argument. As a
consequence it has been