an essay on comedy-第1部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





An　Essay　on　Comedy



by　George　Meredith









ON　THE　IDEA　OF　COMEDY　AND　OF　THE　USES　OF　THE　COMIC　SPIRIT　｛1｝









Good　Comedies　are　such　rare　productions；　that　notwithstanding　the

wealth　of　our　literature　in　the　Comic　element；　it　would　not　occupy

us　long　to　run　over　the　English　list。　　If　they　are　brought　to　the

test　I　shall　propose；　very　reputable　Comedies　will　be　found　unworthy

of　their　station；　like　the　ladies　of　Arthur's　Court　when　they　were

reduced　to　the　ordeal　of　the　mantle。



There　are　plain　reasons　why　the　Comic　poet　is　not　a　frequent

apparition；　and　why　the　great　Comic　poet　remains　without　a　fellow。

A　society　of　cultivated　men　and　women　is　required；　wherein　ideas　are

current　and　the　perceptions　quick；　that　he　may　be　supplied　with

matter　and　an　audience。　　The　semi…barbarism　of　merely　giddy

communities；　and　feverish　emotional　periods；　repel　him；　and　also　a

state　of　marked　social　inequality　of　the　sexes；　nor　can　he　whose

business　is　to　address　the　mind　be　understood　where　there　is　not　a

moderate　degree　of　intellectual　activity。



Moreover；　to　touch　and　kindle　the　mind　through　laughter；　demands

more　than　sprightliness；　a　most　subtle　delicacy。　　That　must　be　a

natal　gift　in　the　Comic　poet。　　The　substance　he　deals　with　will　show

him　a　startling　exhibition　of　the　dyer's　hand；　if　he　is　without　it。

People　are　ready　to　surrender　themselves　to　witty　thumps　on　the

back；　breast；　and　sides；　all　except　the　head：　　and　it　is　there　that

he　aims。　　He　must　be　subtle　to　penetrate。　　A　corresponding　acuteness

must　exist　to　welcome　him。　　The　necessity　for　the　two　conditions

will　explain　how　it　is　that　we　count　him　during　centuries　in　the

singular　number。



'C'est　une　etrange　entreprise　que　celle　de　faire　rire　les　honnetes

gens；'　Moliere　says；　and　the　difficulty　of　the　undertaking　cannot　be

over…estimated。



Then　again；　he　is　beset　with　foes　to　right　and　left；　of　a　character

unknown　to　the　tragic　and　the　lyric　poet；　or　even　to　philosophers。



We　have　in　this　world　men　whom　Rabelais　would　call　agelasts；　that　is

to　say；　non…laughers；　men　who　are　in　that　respect　as　dead　bodies；

which　if　you　prick　them　do　not　bleed。　　The　old　grey　boulder…stone

that　has　finished　its　peregrination　from　the　rock　to　the　valley；　is

as　easily　to　be　set　rolling　up　again　as　these　men　laughing。　　No

collision　of　circumstances　in　our　mortal　career　strikes　a　light　for

them。　　It　is　but　one　step　from　being　agelastic　to　misogelastic；　and

the　＇Greek　text　which　cannot　be　reproduced＇；　the　laughter…hating；

soon　learns　to　dignify　his　dislike　as　an　objection　in　morality。



We　have　another　class　of　men；　who　are　pleased　to　consider　themselves

antagonists　of　the　foregoing；　and　whom　we　may　term　hypergelasts；　the

excessive　laughers；　ever…laughing；　who　are　as　clappers　of　a　bell；

that　may　be　rung　by　a　breeze；　a　grimace；　who　are　so　loosely　put

together　that　a　wink　will　shake　them。





'。　。　。　C'est　n'estimer　rien　qu'estioner　tout　le　monde；'





and　to　laugh　at　everything　is　to　have　no　appreciation　of　the　Comic

of　Comedy。



Neither　of　these　distinct　divisions　of　non…laughers　and　over…

laughers　would　be　entertained　by　reading　The　Rape　of　the　Lock；　or

seeing　a　performance　of　Le　Tartuffe。　　In　relation　to　the　stage；　they

have　taken　in　our　land　the　form　and　title　of　Puritan　and

Bacchanalian。　　For　though　the　stage　is　no　longer　a　public　offender；

and　Shakespeare　has　been　revived　on　it；　to　give　it　nobility；　we　have

not　yet　entirely　raised　it　above　the　contention　of　these　two

parties。　　Our　speaking　on　the　theme　of　Comedy　will　appear　almost　a

libertine　proceeding　to　one；　while　the　other　will　think　that　the

speaking　of　it　seriously　brings　us　into　violent　contrast　with　the

subject。



Comedy；　we　have　to　admit；　was　never　one　of　the　most　honoured　of　the

Muses。　　She　was　in　her　origin；　short　of　slaughter；　the　loudest

expression　of　the　little　civilization　of　men。　　The　light　of　Athene

over　the　head　of　Achilles　illuminates　the　birth　of　Greek　Tragedy。

But　Comedy　rolled　in　shouting　under　the　divine　protection　of　the　Son

of　the　Wine…jar；　as　Dionysus　is　made　to　proclaim　himself　by

Aristophanes。　　Our　second　Charles　was　the　patron；　of　like　benignity；

of　our　Comedy　of　Manners；　which　began　similarly　as　a　combative

performance；　under　a　licence　to　deride　and　outrage　the　Puritan；　and

was　here　and　there　Bacchanalian　beyond　the　Aristophanic　example：

worse；　inasmuch　as　a　cynical　licentiousness　is　more　abominable　than

frank　filth。　　An　eminent　Frenchman　judges　from　the　quality　of　some

of　the　stuff　dredged　up　for　the　laughter　of　men　and　women　who　sat

through　an　Athenian　Comic　play；　that　they　could　have　had　small

delicacy　in　other　affairs　when　they　had　so　little　in　their　choice　of

entertainment。　　Perhaps　he　does　not　make　sufficient　allowance　for

the　regulated　licence　of　plain　speaking　proper　to　the　festival　of

the　god；　and　claimed　by　the　Comic　poet　as　his　inalienable　right；　or

for　the　fact　that　it　was　a　festival　in　a　season　of　licence；　in　a

city　accustomed　to　give　ear　to　the　boldest　utterance　of　both　sides

of　a　case。　　However　that　may　be；　there　can　be　no　question　that　the

men　and　women　who　sat　through　the　acting　of　Wycherley's　Country　Wife

were　past　blushing。　　Our　tenacity　of　national　impressions　has　caused

the　word　theatre　since　then　to　prod　the　Puritan　nervous　system　like

a　satanic　instrument；　just　as　one　has　known　Anti…Papists；　for　whom

Smithfield　was　redolent　of　a　sinister　smoke；　as　though　they　had　a

later　recollection　of　the　place　than　the　lowing　herds。　　Hereditary

Puritanism；　regarding　the　stage；　is　met；　to　this　day；　in　many

families　quite　undistinguished　by　arrogant　piety。　　It　has　subsided

altogether　as　a　power　in　the　profession　of　morality；　but　it　is　an

error　to　suppose　it　extinct；　and　unjust　also　to　forget　that　it　had

once　good　reason　to　hate；　shun；　and　rebuke　our　public　shows。



We　shall　find　ourselves　about　where　the　Comic　spirit　would　place　us；

if　we　stand　at　middle　distance　between　the　inveterate　opponents　and

the　drum…and…fife　supporters　of　Comedy：　　'Comme　un　point　fixe　fait

remarquer　l'emportement　des　autres；'　as　Pascal　says。　　And　were　there

more　in　this　position；　Comic　genius　would　flourish。



Our　English　idea　of　a　Comedy　of　Manners　might　be　imaged　in　the

person　of　a　blowsy　country　girlsay　Hoyden；　the　daughter　of　Sir

Tunbelly　Clumsy；　who；　when　at　home；　'never　disobeyed　her　father

except　in　the　eating　of　green　gooseberries'transforming　to　a

varnished　City　madam；　with　a　loud　laugh　and　a　mincing　step；　the

crazy　ancestress　of　an　accountably　fallen　descendant。　　She　bustles

prodigiously　and　is　punctually　smart　in　her　speech；　always　in　a

fluster　to　escape　from　Dulness；　as　they　say　the　dogs　on　the　Nile…

banks　drink　at　the　river　running　to　avoid　the　crocodile。　　If　the

monster　catches　her；　as　at　times　he　does；　she　whips　him　to　a　froth；

so　that　those　who　know　Dulness　only　as　a　thing　of　ponderousness；

shall　fail　to　recognise　him　in　that　light　and　airy　shape。



When　she　has　frolicked　through　her　five　Acts　to　surprise　you　with

the　information　that　Mr。　Aimwell　is　converted　by　a　sudden　death　in

the　world　outside　the　scenes　into　Lord　Aimwell；　and　can　marry　the

lady　in　the　light　of　day；　it　is　to　the　credit　of　her　vivacious

nature　that　she　does　not　anticipate　your　calling　her　Farce。　　Five　is

dignity　with　a　trailing　robe；　whereas　one；　two；　or　three　Acts　would

be　short　skirts；　and　degrading。　　Advice　has　been　given　to

householders；　that　they　should　follow　up　the　shot　at　a　burglar　in

the　dark　by　hurling　the　pistol　after　it；　so　that　if　the　bullet

misses；　the　weapon　may　strike　and　assure　the　rascal　he　has　it。　　The

point　of　her　wit　is　in　this　fashion　supplemented　by　the　rattle　of

her　tongue；　and　effectively；　according　to　the　testimony　of　her

admirers。　　Her　wit　is　at　once；　like　steam　in　an　engine；　the　motive

force　and　the　warning　whistle　of　her　headlong　course；　and　it

vanishes　like　the　track　of　steam　when　she　has　reached　her　terminus；

never　troubling　the　brains　afterwards；　a　merit　that　it　shares　with

good　wine；　to　the　joy　of　the　Bacchanalians。　　As　to　this　wit；　it　is

warlike。　　In　the　neatest　hands　it　is　like　the　sword　of　the　cavalier

in　the　Mall；　quick　to　flash　out　upon　slight　provocation；　and　for　a

similar　officeto　wound。　　Commonly　its　attitude　is　entirely

pugilistic；　two　blunt　fists　rallying　and　countering。　　When　harmless；

as　when　the　word　'fool'　occurs；　or　allusions　to　the　state　of

husband；　it　has　the　sound　of　the　smack　of　harlequin's　wand　upon

clown；　and　is　to　the　same　extent　exhilarating。　　Believe　that　idle

empty　laughter　is　the　most　desirable　of　recreations；　and　significant

Comedy　will　seem　pale　and　shallow　in　comparison。　　Our　popular　idea

would　be　hit　by　the　sculptured　group　of　Laughter　holding　both　his

sides；　while　Comedy　pummels；　by　way　of　tickling　him。　　As　to　a

meaning；　she　holds　that　it　does　not　conduce　to　making　merry：　　you

might　as　well　carry　cannon　on　a　racing…yacht。　　Morality　is　a　duenna

to　be　circumvented。　　This　was　the　view　of　English　Comedy　of　a

sagacious　essayist；　who　said　that　the　end　of　a　Comedy　would　often　be

the　commencement　of　a　Tragedy；　were　the　curtain　to　rise　again　on　the

performers。　　In　those　old　days　female　modesty　was　protected　by　a

fan；　behind　which；　and　it　was　of　a　convenient　semicircular　breadth；

the　ladies　present　in　the　theatre　retired　at　a　signal　of　decorum；　to

peep；　covertly　askant；　or　with　the　option　of　so　peeping；　through　a

prettily　fringed　eyelet…hole　in　the　eclipsing　arch。





'Ego　limis　specto　sic　per　flabellum　clanculum。'　…

TERENCE。





That　fan　is　the　flag　and　symbol　of　the　society　giving　us　our　so…

called　Comedy　of　Manners；　or　Comedy　of　the　manners　of　South…sea

Islanders　under　city　veneer；　and　as　to　Comic　idea；　vacuous　as　the

mask　without　the　face　behind　it。



Elia；　whose　humour　delighted　in　floating　a　galleon　paradox　and

wafting　it　as　far　as　it　would　go；　bewails　the　extinction　of　our

arti