ABSTRACT
The period of the reign of Charles I boasts no great names, by right of peculiar possession, on the honor-roll of its dramatists. A few critics have discussed briefly its influence on non-dramatic literature of the time and have reviewed more briefly its influence on the drama. In England the dramatic literature connected with the Platonic cult, in contrast to the French Platonic drama, soon surpassed other literary forms in effective interpretation of the new mode. In The Shepheard’s Paradise the Platonic doctrines of Astree are stiffly moulded into dramatic form. It is perhaps difficult to realize the closeness of the relationship, in general, between the serious Platonic drama of Suckling’s time and the comedy of the Restoration period. Platonic drama and Restoration comedy both depict small aristocratic social groups, in which morals as well as manners have become regulated by an exacting social code.
