In I.i, Dorimant's shoemaker makes some pointed remarks about the apparent socio-economic stratification of sin: when Medley charges the shoemaker with having "brought the envy of the world upon you by living above yourself. Whoring and swearing are vices too genteel for a shoemaker", the laborer replies with "'Zbud, I think you men of quality will grow as unreasonable as the women: you would engross the sins o' the nation. Poor folks can no sooner be wicked but th'are railed at by their betters."
Is this perception of specific vices as belonging to specific classes a Restoration representation of "blue collar" and "white collar" immorality? (A fruitful comparison might be made to De Flores in "The Changeling".)
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2 comments:
Our postings are eerily similar, the first thematically, the second, textually. I think you probably articulated a better question though, for the Shoemaker bit.
Blog foppery = linking to your own previous posts.
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