John Ford (dramatist) | Criticism

This literature criticism consists of approximately 34 pages of analysis & critique of John Ford (dramatist).

John Ford (dramatist) | Criticism

This literature criticism consists of approximately 34 pages of analysis & critique of John Ford (dramatist).
This section contains 8,697 words
(approx. 29 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Critical Essay by Robert Ornstein

SOURCE: Ornstein, Robert. “John Ford.” In The Moral Vision of Jacobean Tragedy, pp. 200-21. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1960.

In the following essay, Ornstein examines the moral design of Ford's major tragedies, arguing that they represent a flexible morality which is constantly shaped by the dynamic nature of human relationships.

Of the tragedies written between 1622 and the close of the theaters, only Ford's rank beside the masterpieces of the first decade. Blessed with the virtues of a constitutional monarch—sobriety, sincerity, and conventionality—Massinger had to be content in tragedy with unsubstantial regal gestures; he could not command the imagination as did the earlier Jacobeans. Shirley's dramatic authority was even more limited; at his best (in The Cardinal) he proves himself a skillful manager of plot. Because Ford had the courage and the will to break new dramatic ground, he was a less consistent and “correct” playwright...

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This section contains 8,697 words
(approx. 29 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Critical Essay by Robert Ornstein
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Critical Essay by Robert Ornstein from Gale. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.