The genre of John Dryden’s 1677 play All For Love may be classified as a heroic tragedy. All For Love is a serious drama, written during the Restoration era (named for the return of the English monarchy after 18 years of republican rule) following the conclusion of a long period of censorship.
The Restoration era brought with it the reopening of English theaters and the revival of English drama, which resulted in two main strains: the Restoration Comedy and the Restoration Tragedy, both of which were responding to the swift changes in society following long decades of political upheaval. English tragedies from this period were often heavily influenced by other continental European literary traditions, such as the French tragedy. Dryden was particularly conscious of his literary predecessors and his critics, addressing them in his Epistle Dedicatory, the Preface, and the Epilogue. Other elements common to the Restoration-era heroic tragedy include the author’s serious treatment of the play’s given subject matter, an inspiration from traditional epics and romances, and a focus on morality and virtues that results in the imparting of some lesson to the audience. In All For Love, Dryden achieves all three, crafting a touching emotional work based on the legendary romance of Antony and Cleopatra.
