| Front | Mac Flecknoe |
|---|---|
| Back | A satirical poem 1682 Targets Thomas Shadwell Literary dulness Mock-heroic manner and its wide allusiveness Mac Flecknoe (full title: Mac Flecknoe; or, A satyr upon the True-Blew-Protestant Poet, T.S.[1]) is a verse mock-heroic satire written by John Dryden. It is a direct attack on Thomas Shadwell, another prominent poet of the time. It opens with the lines: Bust of Mac Flecknoe from an 18th century edition of Dryden's poems All human things are subject to decay, And when fate summons, monarchs must obey[2] Written about 1678, but not published until 1682 (see 1682 in poetry), "Mac Flecknoe" is the outcome of a series of disagreements between Thomas Shadwell and Dryden. Their quarrel blossomed from the following disagreements: "1) their different estimates of the genius of Ben Jonson, 2) the preference of Dryden for comedy of wit and repartee and of Shadwell, the chief disciple of Jonson, for humors comedy, 3) a sharp disagreement over the true purpose of comedy, 4) contention over the value of rhymed plays, and 5) plagiarism."[3] Shadwell fancied himself heir to Ben Jonson and to the variety of comedy which the latter had commonly written. Shadwell’s poetry was certainly not of the same standard as Jonson’s, and it is possible that Dryden wearied of Shadwell’s argument that Dryden undervalued Jonson. Shadwell and Dryden were separated not only by literary grounds but also by political ones as Shadwell was a Whig, while Dryden was an outspoken supporter of the Stuart monarchy. |
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Macbeth scottish king history duncan tragedy shakespeare's play
Previous card: John lyly writer prose comedies lilly lylie ˈlɪli
Up to card list: Wordsworth companion to literature by Bahman Moradi