The Theory of the Theatre, and Other Principles of Dramatic Criticism

Hamilton, Clayton Meeker, 1881-1946Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.6

Word count: 337K words
Chapters: 34

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Theory of the Theatre, and Other Principles of Dramatic Criticism by HamiltonAuthor: Hamilton, Clayton Meeker, 1881-1946,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: Oct 3, 2004

Editor's review

This book is a collection of essays by Clayton Meeker Hamilton on dramatic theory and dramatic criticism, discussing the nature of drama, audience psychology, play structure, and principles of criticism. Writing from the scene of early twentieth-century American dramatic criticism, the author proceeds mainly by argument, with clear organization and a distinct awareness of the issues of his time. For today's readers its value lies not in offering the latest theory but in presenting a representative line of thought from the formative period of modern dramatic criticism, helping readers understand where the basic issues of dramatic review come from. The discussions are often tied to specific plays and performance situations, making the book suitable as an advanced reader after an introduction to drama, and also useful for writers seeking an analytical framework. It is best read with a questioning mind, comparing the author's views with contemporary theatrical practice rather than treating them as settled conclusions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and researchers in dramatic literature and dramatic criticism
Readers who wish to understand the context of early twentieth-century British and American dramatic theory
Playwrights and critical writers who need a framework for dramatic analysis
Enthusiasts with an interest in basic principles of drama and the ability to read English

Not a good fit for

Readers with no background in drama who want an introductory primer first
Readers expecting contemporary dramatic theory or the latest performance cases
General readers who have difficulty reading English and need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents to grasp the distribution of topics, then read in chapter order, noting how the essays resonate with one another.
After each chapter, summarize the author's core argument in your own words and write down one reason you disagree.
Compare the analytical principles in the book with plays or scripts you have seen to test their explanatory power.
Read it alongside contemporary dramatic criticism to observe which issues persist and which have changed.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What dramatic issues does this book mainly discuss?

The book addresses fundamental questions of dramatic theory, including the nature of drama, the relationship between audience and performance, play structure, and the principles dramatic criticism should follow. The author argues through specific plays; the exact chapter arrangement follows the original public-domain e-book text.

Are the theories in this book still valid for today's theatre?

The views bear the mark of the early twentieth century and should not be taken as universal conclusions. Yet the basic issues it discusses, such as audience psychology, structure, and critical standards, remain worth consulting. Read with comparison and discernment rather than direct application.

Which plays should I read before this book?

None are strictly required, but familiarity with late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century European and American plays will make the examples easier to follow. Lack of such reading does not prevent grasping the main arguments; look up plot summaries for unfamiliar plays.

Is this book suitable as a writing reference for dramatic criticism?

Yes. It offers a relatively clear analytical framework and approach to review, useful for learning how to organize dramatic criticism. Bear in mind its historical limitations and adapt it in light of contemporary performance practice and newer critical methods.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Hamilton, Clayton Meeker, 1881-1946 Author

Clayton Meeker Hamilton (1881–1946) was a writer on drama and fiction theory active in the English-speaking world in the early twentieth century. Public information about him is limited, and many details of his life are difficult to verify, yet the three works held in this collection clearly show the direction of his writing: he attended both to the inner principles of the art of fiction and to the systematization of dramatic criticism. In A Manual of the Art of Fiction and Materials and Methods of Fiction he addresses writers and readers, discussing the choice of narrative material, structural arrangement, and technical training, in a clear and practical style. The Theory of the Theatre, and Other Principles of Dramatic Criticism treats drama as an independent art and sets out critical standards from the perspectives of audience psychology and stage presentation. His books have a pronounced textbook and guidebook character, with plain language and concrete examples, and exerted a certain influence on writing instruction and dramatic criticism of his time; they remain useful references for understanding how narrative and dramatic theory were popularized in the early English-speaking world.