Comedy of Manners

Big issues no problem, little issues are a big problem

A Comedy of Manners should address most of the following:

• Witty, cerebral form of dramatic comedy

• Depicts and often satirises the manners and affectations of a contemporary society

• Mainly concerned with social usage and the question of whether or not characters meet certain social standards.

• Different social levels are represented by stereotypical and/or stock characters

• The governing social standard is morally trivial but exacting.

• The plot of such a comedy, usually concerned with an illicit love affair or similarly scandalous matter

• The plot is not as important as the play’s brittle atmosphere, witty dialogue, and pungent commentary on human foibles.