Contents:

• Introduction to John Dryden
• Dryden’s Essay of Dramatic Poesy
• Detailed Critical Summary of An Essay of Dramatic Poesy
• Text and Annotations
• Select university Questions with Answers
• Dryden: Father of English Criticism
• Dryden: A Pioneer of Comparative Criticism
• The Native impulse in Dryden’s Criticism
• Essay of Dramatic Poesy Textual Problems
• Dryden’s view of Drama
• The Ancients Versus Moderns Controversy
• Case for native tradition: Superiority of English Drama over French Drama
• Views on Shakespeare, Johnson, Beaumont and Fletcher
• Analysis of the Silent Woman
• In Defense of Tragi comedy
• General Estimate of Dryden as a Critic