Collier, Jeremy (1650-1726)

A Short View of the Immorality, and Profaneness of the English Stage

London

Printed for S. Keble, R. Sare, and H. Hindmarsh

1698

"Enough to mud their Fancy, to tarnish their Quality, and make their Passion Scandalous."

This Tragedian like Aeschylus does not often concern himself with Amours, and when he does, nothing can be more temperate, and decent. For example where the Incest of Oedipus is described, the Offensiveness of the Idea is screen'd off and broken by Metaphorical and distant Expressions. In another Play Creon resolves to put Antigone to Death for presuming to bury Polynices. This Lady and Haemon Creons Son were very far engaged; Haemon endeavours to disswade his Father from Antigones Execution: He tells him the burying her Brother tho' against his Order, was a popular Action. And that the People would resent her being punish'd: But never so much as mentions his own Concern unless in one Line; which was so obscure that Creon misunderstood him. Antigone amongst her other Misfortunes laments her dying Young and Single, but says not one word about Haemon. The Poet takes care not to bring these two Lovers upon the Stage together, for fear they might prove unmanagable? Had They been with us, they had met with kinder treatment. They might have had Interviews and Time and Freedom enough. Enough to mud their Fancy, to tarnish their Quality, and make their Passion Scandalous. In the Relation of Haemons Death, his Love is related too, and that with all the Life and Pathos imaginable.
(p. 29)

Uncategorized::Mud

EEBO-TCP

9 entries in ESTC (1698, 1699, 1728, 1730, 1738).

See A Short View of the Immorality, and Profaneness of the English Stage Together With the Sense of Antiquity Upon This Argument (London: Printed for S. Keble, R. Sare, and H. Hindmarsh, 1698). <Link to EEBO-TCP>

10/01/2013