A Reappraisal of Decadence in John Ford's Dramatic Works
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Authors
Hjortsvang, Herbert Augustine
Issue Date
1952
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Thesis
Language
en_US
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Abstract
Soon after Shakespeare's retirement from the theatre a period of retrogression fell upon the English drama. While it has been assumed by many that the closing of the theatres by the Puritans in 1642 marked the end of drama as it had been gloriously created and shaped by the Elizabethans, the death knell had actually been sounded some years earlier. In its reflection of current interest in science, Elizabethan drama was steadily shaking off theological concepts of good and evil as they had formed an integral part in the formulation of dramatic productions since the days of the miracle and morality plays. The main distinction between early and late Elizabethan drama seems to be that in the latter, a sense of moral responsibility is often lacking. Lack of moral responsibility, coupled with sensational treatment, is characteristic of many later Elizabethan plays. Authors whose work bear these marks are usually termed decadent. John Ford (1586- c.1639), whose work seems especially lacking in moral stability, is considered by many scholars as the most decadent dramatist of the period.
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Creighton University
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