Man of Mode: New Edition

The Man of Mode is a Restoration wit comedy that matches the beguiling 'easiness and 'complaisance of its central character. It is a finished exercise in dramatic sprezzatura, masking a ferocious artistic control to upset the complacency of the audiences moral, social, and aesthetic assumptions. The New Mermaids plays offer modernized versions of the play text, fully annotated student editions, and full Introductions analyzing context, themes, author background, and stage history.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 208 pages
\n Publication date: 07 February 2019
\n Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
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Arguably the most perfectly poised of Restoration wit comedies, The Man of Mode is a finished exercise in dramatic sprezzatura, or nonchalance, matching the beguiling 'easiness and 'complaisance of its central character. The play's imaginative brilliance depends upon its author's ability to hint at the dark abyss of passion and emotional violence at whose edge the modish denizens of the town perform their graceful ballet. Its seemingly casual construction and wanton breaches of comic decorum mask a ferocious artistic control designed to upset the complacency of the audiences moral, social, and aesthetic assumptions by luring them into sympathy for a character whose dangerous 'wildness they ought to deplore. It is at once among the funniest and the most unsettling of comedies in English. The full, modernized play text is accompanied by incisive commentary notes, while its engaging introduction unpacks the complexity of the Restorations political and theatrical context, analyses the plays performance history (including Nicholas Hytner's 2007 modern-dress version) and demonstrates Etherege's linguistic finesse. This edition is supplemented by a plot summary and an annotated bibliography. The New Mermaids plays offer:

Modernized versions of the play text edited to the highest textual standards.
Fully annotated student editions with obscure words explained and critical, contextual, and staging insight provided on each page.
Full Introductions analyzing context, themes, author background, and stage history

\n Weight: 178g\n
Dimension: 131 x 197 x 16 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781474289535\n
Edition number: 3 ed\n