Sentimental Comedy

 Sentimental Comedy

Sentimental Comedy is a special type of English drama that became popular in the 18th century. Unlike traditional comedies that focused on laughter and fun, sentimental comedies were serious in tone and aimed to teach moral lessons. These plays showed good and kind-hearted characters who faced problems in life but finally succeeded through their honesty, virtue, and emotions. The main purpose of these plays was to make the audience feel sympathy and promote goodness.

This form of comedy developed as a reaction against the immoral and vulgar content of Restoration Comedy. Playwrights wanted to create dramas that supported family values, honesty, and proper behavior. In sentimental comedy, tears and emotions were more important than laughter and wit. The characters were often idealized and too perfect, which sometimes made the plays unrealistic.

One of the early writers of sentimental comedy was Richard Steele, whose play The Conscious Lovers (1722) is a well-known example of this genre. In this play, the hero remains honest and patient even when he suffers. In the end, his goodness is rewarded, and the play ends happily. Other writers like Hugh Kelly and Colley Cibber also wrote sentimental comedies during this time.

However, not everyone liked this kind of drama. Some critics said that these plays were too emotional and lacked real humour. Later playwrights like Oliver Goldsmith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan reacted against sentimental comedy and brought back true comedy with laughter and wit. Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer and Sheridan’s The Rivals made fun of sentimental drama and returned to comedy of manners.

Sentimental Comedy was a popular form of drama in the 18th century that focused on emotions and morality. It taught people how to be good, but sometimes it became too serious and less entertaining. Even though its popularity faded later, it played an important role in the history of English drama.