Introduction
The term ‘Decadent Play’ is one of the remarkable terms in the history of English drama. This type of play relies on the events of the melodramatic without real-life painting. A loose plot is constructed in this type of play.
The term ‘Decadent Play’ is one of the remarkable terms in the history of English drama. This type of play relies on the events of the melodramatic without real-life painting. A loose plot is constructed in this type of play.
Introduction to Decadent Play
Decadence is a Latin word that means ‘to fall down’. Decadence, an age of decline or deterioration of art or literature that follows an age of great achievement. Jacobean period (1603-1625) is called the Decadent period because the spontaneity of Elizabethan drama had fallen down. Especially, Jacobean plays are called the Decadent plays.
Characteristics of Decadent Play
- Bloodshed: In these plays, bloodshed is a common fact.
- Horror elements: Horror description or elements are presented in these plays.
- Unnatural themes: The theme of immoral love is commonly present in these plays.
- Limited art of characterization: In these plays, artificial and stock types characters are presented. The lustful tyrant and headstrong monarch are the two stock characters.
- Violent passion: In these plays, characters are presented with a violent passion.
- Defective ending: The ending of these plays is not well-ended.
- Court centered: Decadent plays are court centered play.
- Presentation of corrupted society: Presentation of corrupted society is available in these plays and so on.
A shortlist of Decadent Play
- The Honest Whore (1604) by Thomas Dekker (1572-1632) and Thomas Middleton (1580-1627).
- A Woman Killed with Kindness (1607) by Thomas Heywood (1573-1641).
- The Atheist’s Tragedy (1611) by Cyril Tourneur (1575-1626).
- The White Devil (1612) by John Webster (1580-1634).
- The Maid’s Tragedy (1619) byJohn Fletcher (1579-1625) and Francis Beaumont (1584-1616).
- The Duchess of Malfi (1623) another play by John Webster.
These are Decadent Play because its features are present here.
Conclusion: To sum up, though Decadent Play has few defects, it develops the store of English drama. We cannot abject this type of plays.
