num_pages: 166
description: Twayne Publishers, 1976. Hard Cover. Part of Twayne's English Author Series. Contents About the Author; Preface; ChronologyIn the Literary Crosscurrents; The Emerging Experimentation and Success; The Later Resurgence and Decline; The Tradition as Structural Imperative;Non-fictional Observation and Controversy; The Quest for Moral Order; Conclusion; Notes and References; Selected Bibliography; Index. [Excerpt from Preface] Richard Cumberland has not been the subject of a comprehensive evaluation for more than half a century, and Stanley T. Williams' Richard His Life and Dramatic Works (1917) has been the standard work on the subject. Valuable material that has come to light since Williams' study was written provides fresh insights into the dramatist's work. Much of Cumberland's later career takes on a more definite outline through the availability of many manuscript copies of his unpublished plays available in the Larpent Collection ofthe Huntington Library, San Marino, California. These manuscriptshave yielded several important discoveries. Firstly, they have indicated the close relationship between "The Arab" and Alcanor and suggest Cumberland's ability to retain material from unsuccessful work to be refashioned into new forms. Secondly, the Larpent manuscripts have served to correct the impression fostered by Genest that "The Country Attorney" and "The School for Widows" were identical. A close study of the manuscript of each play reveals Cumberland's virtual creation of a new drama as he shifted the emphasis of the story from laughing to sentimental comedy. Availability of the Larpent plays, moreover, provides the basis for understanding why the Lord Chamberlain refused to license "Richard the Second" and why Cumberland's revision of the play "The Armorer" was destined for failure...
language: English
title: Richard Cumberland
titlecomplete: Richard Cumberland (Twayne's English authors series ; TEAS 196)
publisher: Twayne Publishers