George Etherege's "The Man of Mode"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that George Etherege, like other Restoration comic dramatists, makes much of the distinction between verbal and physical comedy in his play, "The Man of Mode". The author points out that Etherege gives his characters strong wit and sharp tongues as a means of conveying the humor of the play; characters constantly engage in witty repartee. The paper relates that, although the actions of the characters and the physical form aid Etherege's words in conveying the comedic aspect of the play, it is really the words and the tone in which they are spoken that bring out the humor; thus, the predominant form used by Etherege is verbal.

From the Paper:

"Etherege's rake-hero, Dorimant, is, by definition of the rake-hero, the wittiest character in the play. Nearly all his conversations involve a form of witty bantering. The first incidence of this comes in the beginning of the first act. Here Dorimant engages in a humorous conversation with the Orange-Woman, a person we may assume he has known for some time and has often confided in her from her line, "Lord, would the ladies had herd you speak of them as I have done" (2208). Although, throughout this conversation, Dorimant's language may come across as severe and degrading, it can be made into humorous teasing between old acquaintances through proper tone. The Orange-Woman's response to also shows that nature of the conversation is a teasing one. Thus the scene is not one of ill feeling between the characters, but one of fun and humor. The scene contains little physical action and relies on the wit of the characters and the way they deliver it to make it humorous."

More papers on George Etherege's "The Man of Mode":

• Book Review # 115860 : "The Man of Mode"
• Analytical Essay # 56021 : "The Man of the Crowd"
• Analytical Essay # 55053 : "Restoration Drama"

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