action, place, and time; Neander replies that English dramatists such as Ben Jonson also kept the unities when they wanted to, but that they preferred to develop character and motive. Even Neander's final argument with Crites over whether rhyme is suitable in drama depends on Aristotle's Poetics: Neander says that Aristotle demands a verbally artful ("lively") imitation of nature, while Crites thinks that dramatic imitation ceases to be "just" when it departs from ordinary speech—i.e. prose or blank verse. A year later, the two brothers-in-law quarrelled publicly over this third topic. See Dryden's "Defence of An Essay of Dramatic Poesy" (1669), where Dryden tries to persuade the rather literal-minded Howard that audiences expect a play to be an imitation of nature, not a surrogate for nature itself. References External links Essay of Dramatic Poesy (1668 text, edited by Jack Lynch) 17th-century essays 1668 works English essays Essays about poetry Works by John Dryden Essays in literary theory 17th-century literature of England