The Relationship Between Wilde’s Comedies And The Tradition Of British Comedy

As a famous comic writer, Oscar Wilde is also a aesthetic theorist.His outstanding comedies bring much vigour to the silence of British stage.The present thesis takes a profound discussion between Wilde’s comedies and the tradition of British comedy with four aspects:realism, moral issues, character and dramatics.The thesis is divided into six parts:The introduction part briefly demonstrates Wilde’s comedies and writing, as well as the situation of Wilde’s study at home and abraod. The thesis shows the study between Wilde’s comedies and British comic tradition can make us sense of the inheritance of the two subjects. It will be a helpful attempt in this field.The chapter one analyzes the realism tradition of British comedy and its reflection in seperate periods. With a discussion to the realism of Shakespeare and Sheridan’s comedies, it provides a similar realism analysis for Wilde’s comedies.Wilde’s comedies are aestheticism and realistic mix, inheriting the realism tradition of British comedy and bringing forth new ideas.The chapter two demonstrates the development of moral pattern in British comedy from Shakespeare to Sheridan, moreover, it provides a discussion on the relationship of aestheticism and the operation of his comedy business. Although Wilde asserted art should not be connected with morality, he thought a lot about morality all over his comedies.There are ideal moral persues in Wilde’s comedies as a result of inheriting British comic tradition.The chapter three deals with the cheracters with Wilde’s comedies and British comedy. Wildean dandies share common point with Shakespearean clowns and Sheridan’s wit characters. In the dialogue with British comic characters, Wilde’s characters made great growth upon Shakespearean clowns. They seek further development as well as listenning to themselves.The chapter four discusses Wilde’s skills in using cstumes and props. For costumes, Wilde inherited British costume tradition and shared commonity with Shakespeare. For props and stage settings, he was influenced by traditional techniques in British comedy and his props reflected the society fashion at that time. Both of them give expression to Wilde’s inheriting dramatical tradition of British comedy.In conclusion, the thesis sums up the whole ideas above, concluding Wilde is a rebellious conformist. As a great playwriter with his paticular style in the history of British comedy, Wilde’s comedies of enduring glamour and make great contribution to British literature.