Discuss how, in An Essay of Dramatic Poesy, Dryden introduced the comparative method in English literary criticism.

 John Dryden's "An Essay of Dramatic Poesy" is a significant work in English literary criticism because it marks a turning point in the way literary criticism was done. Prior to Dryden, literary criticism in England was mainly prescriptive, meaning that critics laid out rules for how literature should be written and judged works based on how well they followed those rules. Dryden's essay, however, takes a more comparative approach to literary criticism, comparing and contrasting different forms of drama and evaluating them based on their own merits.

One of the key ways in which Dryden introduced the comparative method was through the use of dialogue in his essay. Rather than simply laying out his own opinions and judgments, Dryden presents a series of characters, each with their own viewpoints on the merits and drawbacks of different forms of drama. Through this dialogue, Dryden is able to present multiple perspectives on the topic and encourage his readers to think critically and independently about the issues at hand.

Another way in which Dryden introduced the comparative method was by analyzing drama in the context of its historical and cultural background. Dryden believed that drama should be judged based on its own time and place, rather than being held up to the standards of other times and places. For example, he argues that the ancient Greek tragedies should not be judged based on the same criteria as contemporary English drama, because they were written for a different audience and with a different set of cultural assumptions in mind.

At the same time, however, Dryden believed that there were certain universal principles of good drama that could be applied across different times and places. He believed that drama should be true to human nature, should move and delight its audience, and should have a clear and satisfying structure. By evaluating different forms of drama based on these universal principles, Dryden was able to provide a comparative framework for literary criticism that could be applied across different cultures and time periods.

Overall, Dryden's "An Essay of Dramatic Poesy" represents a significant shift in English literary criticism, moving away from prescriptive rules and towards a more comparative and contextual approach. By encouraging readers to think critically and independently about different forms of drama and evaluating them based on their own merits, Dryden laid the groundwork for the more modern forms of literary criticism that would come later.