Marriage a la Mode
by John Dryden

Name: Marriage a la Mode
Brand: John Dryden
SKU: 9780713666663
Rating: 3.41 (216 reviews)

Marriage a la Mode Book Cover — Marriage a la Mode Cover

Highlights

British

What readers are saying

Readers find 'Marriage a la Mode' to be a witty and entertaining satire of the English aristocracy that showcases comedic typologies. Many appreciate its clever humor and character development while also noting its historical context. The play has sparked interest in Dryden’s work, contrasting it favorably with Shakespeare's. However, some readers feel that certain parts were dull or traditional, not resonating with modern audiences.

Witty and entertaining satireClever humor and character developmentHistorical context enriches the playSome parts feel dull and traditional

Synopsis

Dryden's audiences in 1671, both aristocratic and middle-class, would

have been quick to respond to the themes of disputed royal succession,

Francophilia and loyalty among subjects in his most successful

tragicomedy.

In the tragic plot, written in verse, young Leonidas has

to struggle to assert his place as the rightful heir to the throne of

Sicily and to the hand of the usurper's daughter.

In the comic plot,

written in prose, two fashionable couples (much more at home in London

drawing-rooms than at the Sicilian court) play at switching partners in

the 'modern' style.

The introduction of this edition argues that

Dryden's own ambivalence about King Charles and his entourage, on whom

he came to rely more on more for patronage, manifests itself in both

plots; most of all perhaps in the excessively Francophile Melantha,

whose affectation cannot quite hide her endearing joie-de-vivre.

Available Editions

Format	Publisher	Year	Pages	ISBN-13	Price
Paperback · First Edition	New Mermaid	2003	144	9780713666663	Buy
Print	—	1981	144	9780803265561	—
Print	—	1981	144	9780803203860	—
Print	—	1991	118	9780393900644	—
Print	—	1991	118	9780713634129	—
Print	—	1981	144	9780713163568	—
Print	—	—	—	9781979165044	—
Print	—	2014	144	9781408144268	—
Print	—	—	—	9781783944972	—
Print	—	—	—	9781632032942	—
Print	—	—	—	9781408169155	—