Comedy of manners

Uncommon card · No. 187767

The comedy of manners is a genre that uses wit and intellectual dialogue to satirize the social behaviors, artificialities, and strict codes of a specific contemporary society. In this genre, the central focus is on whether characters can maintain equilibrium within exact, though often superficial, social standards. Consequently, the narrative plots, which often pertain to illicit romances or social scandals, are secondary to the sharp dialogue, cynical atmosphere, and observational commentary on human flaws. Historically, these plays were written by members of the upper classes for their own social circles and tended to flourish in societies characterized by both economic prosperity and moral permissiveness. In English literature, the term comedy of manners (also anti-sentimental comedy) describes a genre of realistic, satirical comedy that questions and comments upon the manners and social conventions of a greatly sophisticated, artificial society. The satire of fashion, manners, and...

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