Genrefying Restoration Comedy: The Challenge of Classifying Generic Diversity

Abstract

This article describes the challenges the Restoration Comedy Project team have had to face regarding the creation and applicability of genre labels in their online database and printed catalogues of the comedies produced between 1660 and 1682. Those challenges have had largely to do with the intrinsic difficulty of classifying literary works by genres and, even more, by subgenres; and also with the lack of previous scholarly consent about the taxonomy of types of comedy. They have to deal as well with the general tendency that Restoration playwrights had to blend elements from different comedic traditions and practices in search of a variety that could win the audience's attention and provide entertainment. In spite of such generic mixture in many plays, the structure of the database and of the catalogue introduction made it convenient to pigeonhole each play into only one of a few types of comedy, that which seemed most dominant, focusing mainly on the plots, characters, themes, purpose, tone, and sometimes also setting and sources. No doubt, the result is questionable in some cases but, in general, it is practical, suited to the aims of the project, and satisfactory.