John Dennis (dramatist)
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John Dennis (16 September 1658 – 6 January 1734) was an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
critic A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governmen ...
and
dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
.


Life

He was born in the parish of St Andrew Holborn,
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, in 1658. He was educated at
Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...
and
Caius College, Cambridge Gonville and Caius College, often referred to simply as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges and one of th ...
, where he took his B.A. degree in 1679. In the next year he was fined and dismissed from his college for having wounded a fellow student with a sword. He was, however, received at Trinity Hall, where he took his M.A. degree in 1683. After travelling in France and Italy, he settled in London, where he became acquainted with
Dryden '' John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the peri ...
, and close to Wycherley, Congreve and the leading literary figures of his day; and being made temporarily independent by inheriting a small fortune, he devoted himself to literature. The
Duke of Marlborough General (United Kingdom), General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an Engl ...
procured him a place as one of the queen's waiters in the customs with a salary of £20 a year. This he afterwards disposed of for a small sum, retaining, at the suggestion of
Lord Halifax Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, (16 April 1881 – 23 December 1959), known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was a senior British Conservative politician of the 19 ...
, a yearly charge upon it for a long term of years. In the years prior to 1704 he reigned as one of the leading coffee house wits alongside Congreve. One of his tragedies, a violent attack on the French in harmony with popular prejudice, entitled ''Liberty Asserted'', was produced with great success at Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1704. For ''
Appius and Virginia ''Appius and Virginia'' is an early 17th-century stage play, a tragedy by John Webster (and perhaps Thomas Heywood). It is the third and least famous of his tragedies, after ''The White Devil'' and '' The Duchess of Malfi''. Heywood On the bas ...
'' (1709), he invented a new kind of thunder. The play was not a success and the management of the
Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...
withdrew it. But later at a performance of ''
Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'' there Dennis found the thunder produced by his method and said, : That is ''my'' thunder, by God; the villains will play my thunder, but not my play. According to Brewer's entry (under the headword ''thunder''), this is the origin of the phrase, "to steal one's thunder". Dennis is best remembered as the leading critic of his generation, and as a pioneer of the concept of the sublime as an aesthetic quality. After taking the
Grand Tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...
of the Alps he published his comments in a journal letter published as ''Miscellanies'' in 1693, giving an account of crossing the Alps where, contrary to his prior feelings for the beauty of nature as a "delight that is consistent with reason", the experience of the journey was at once a "pleasure to the eye as music is to the ear", but "mingled with Horrours, and sometimes almost with despair." The significance of his account is that the concept of the sublime, at the time a
rhetoric Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...
term primarily relevant to literary criticism, was used to describe a positive appreciation for horror and terror in aesthetic experience, in contrast to Ashley Cooper, The Third Earl of Shaftesbury's more timid response to the sublime. Dennis appears to have reached a turning point in 1704, when, at the age of 47 he withdrew from city life. In the years following this he appears to have become increasingly marginalised, both from new developments in cultural life, and from a new generation on the literary scene. His Essay on Italian Opera in 1706 argues that the introspection encouraged by the sensuality of music, but particularly Italian opera, is harmful to public spirit at a time of war. In 1711 he fell out with both
Joseph Addison Joseph Addison (1 May 1672 – 17 June 1719) was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was the eldest son of The Reverend Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richard S ...
and
Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...
. Dr. Johnson regarded Pope as the instigator of the latter dispute, his ''Essay on Criticism'' published mid-May 1711, having "attacked ennis, characterised as Appiuswantonly", and provoking Dennis' ''Reflections Critical and Satirical upon a late Rhapsody Called, an Essay upon Criticism'', the following month. Dennis' forensic skills as a critic enabled him to critique the flaws in the far younger poet's observations, intended to show "that as there is a great deal of venom in this little gentleman’s temper, nature has very wisely corrected it with a great deal of dullness…as there is no creature in nature so venomous, there is nothing so stupid and so impotent as a hunch-back’d toad; and a man must be very quiet and very passive, and stand still to let him fasten his teeth and his claws, or to be supriz’d sleeping by him, before that animal can have any power to hurt him." Lacerating pamphlets followed on both sides, culminating in Pope's ''Dunciad'', and in a scathing note in the edition of 1729 (Book I, 1, 106), which included an insulting epigram attributed to Richard Savage, but now generally ascribed to Pope himself. Dennis had fallen out with
Addison Addison may refer to: Places Canada * Addison, Ontario United States *Addison, Alabama *Addison, Illinois *Addison Street in Chicago, Illinois which runs by Wrigley Field * Addison, Kentucky *Addison, Maine *Addison, Michigan *Addison, New York ...
in April 1711, over an essay that contained a good-humoured rejection of the notion of poetic justice in ''The Spectator'', No. 40. His analysis of Addison's highly successful patriotic tragedy in the ''Remarks upon Cato'' (1713) returned to this subject, and while Dennis' motivation may have been partly personally motivated, his criticism remains acute and sensible, and is quoted at considerable length by
Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...
in his ''Life of Addison''. According to
Thomas Macaulay Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, (; 25 October 1800 – 28 December 1859) was a British historian and Whig politician, who served as the Secretary at War between 1839 and 1841, and as the Paymaster-General between 1846 and 1 ...
(''Life and Writings of Addison'', p. 215)
Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
seized the opportunity to respond on Addison's behalf "venting his malice under the show of friendship", with ''The Narrative of Dr. Robert Norris, concerning the strange and deplorable frenzy of John Dennis ...'' (1713). The pamphlet was full of personal abuse, exposing Dennis's foibles, but offered no defence of ''Cato'', and Addison repudiated any connivance in this attack, and indirectly notified Dennis that when he did answer his objections, it would be without personalities. However, Dennis's day as a leading figure on the London literary scene was over. He gained the nickname of "Furius", while his enthusiasm for the terrible sublime was mocked. The apocryphal tale regarding his petitioning the Duke of Marlborough to have a special clause inserted in the Treaty of Utrecht to secure him from French vengeance, if true, suggests growing paranoia. (Marlborough joked that although he had been a still greater enemy of the French nation, he had no fear for his own security!) Dennis outlived his annuity from the customs, and his last years were spent in great poverty. Bishop Atterbury sent him money, and he received a small sum annually from Sir
Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader ...
. A benefit performance was organized at the Haymarket (18 December 1733) on his behalf, for which Pope wrote an ill-natured prologue, which the actor and sentimental playwright
Colley Cibber Colley Cibber (6 November 1671 – 11 December 1757) was an English actor-manager, playwright and Poet Laureate. His colourful memoir ''Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber'' (1740) describes his life in a personal, anecdotal and even rambling ...
(another victim of Pope's invective) recited. Dennis died within three weeks of this performance, on 6 January 1734. Dennis' works were published in 1702, ''Select Works'' (2 vol.) in 1718, and Miscellaneous Tracts, the first volume only of which appeared, in 1727. Although Johnson was to call for a complete edition of Dennis' works, this was not undertaken until 1938 (Edward Niles Hooker, ''The Critical Works of John Dennis'' (Baltimore, 1939). For a contemporary account of Dennis see
Theophilus Cibber Theophilus Cibber (25 or 26 November 1703 – October 1758) was an English actor, playwright, author, and son of the actor-manager Colley Cibber. He began acting at an early age, and followed his father into theatrical management. In 1727, Alex ...
's ''Lives of the Poets'', Vol. 4; for a nineteenth-century view see
Isaac Disraeli Isaac D'Israeli (11 May 1766 – 19 January 1848) was a British writer, scholar and the father of British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. He is best known for his essays and his associations with other men of letters. Life and career Isaac wa ...
's essays on Pope and Addison in the Quarrels of Authors, and On the Influence of a Bad Temper in Criticism in Calamities of Authors; for a contemporary account see the Preface and Introduction to Edward Niles Hooker's ''The Critical Works of John Dennis''.


Works


Major essays

* Remarks ... (1696), on Blackmore's epic of Prince Arthur. * Letters upon Several Occasions written by and between Mr. Dryden, Mr. Wycherley, Mr. Moyle, Mr. Congreve and Mr Dennis, published by Mr Dennis (1696). * two pamphlets in reply to
Jeremy Collier Jeremy Collier (; 23 September 1650 – 26 April 1726) was an English theatre critic, non-juror bishop and theologian. Life Born Jeremiah Collier, in Stow cum Quy, Cambridgeshire, Collier was educated at Caius College, University of Cambrid ...
's
Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage In March 1698, Jeremy Collier published his anti-theatre pamphlet, ''A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage''; in the pamphlet, Collier attacks a number of playwrights: William Wycherley, John Dryden, William Congrev ...
. * The Advancement and Reformation of Modern Poetry (1701), perhaps his most important work. * The Grounds of Criticism in Poetry (1704), in which he argued that the ancients owed their superiority over the moderns in poetry to their religious attitude. * Essay on the Operas after the Italian Manner (1706). * Essay upon Publick Spirit (1711), in which he inveighs against luxury, and servile imitation of foreign fashions and customs. * Essay on the Genius and Writings of Shakespeare in Three Letters (1712).


Dramatic works

* '' A Plot and No Plot'' (1697) * '' Rinaldo and Armida'' (1698) * Iphigenia (1700) * ''
The Comical Gallant ''The Comical Gallant'' is a 1701 comedy play by the English writer John Dennis (dramatist), John Dennis. Also known by the longer title ''The Comical Gallant: Or the Amours of Sir John Falstaffe'', it is a reworking of Shakespeare's play ''The M ...
'' (1702) (adaptation of
The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...
) * Liberty Asserted (1704) * Gibraltar (1705) * Orpheus and Eurydice (1707) * ''
Appius and Virginia ''Appius and Virginia'' is an early 17th-century stage play, a tragedy by John Webster (and perhaps Thomas Heywood). It is the third and least famous of his tragedies, after ''The White Devil'' and '' The Duchess of Malfi''. Heywood On the bas ...
'' (1709) * '' The Invader of His Country'' (1719) (adaptation of
Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same ye ...
)


Further reading

* Doran, Robert. "Dennis: Terror and Religion" in ''The Theory of the Sublime from Longinus to Kant''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015.


References


External links

* ---- * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dennis, John English dramatists and playwrights People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge 1658 births 1734 deaths Writers from London English male dramatists and playwrights