Buchara state university m. Bakoeva, E. Muratova, M. Ochilova english literature

brief papers, which were addressed consciously to a middle-class 
audience. The periodical essa y w as the eighteenth-century 
equivalent of the broadcast talk. Contact between writers and 
readers was established by fam ous English essayists Joseph 
Addison and Richard Steele. They started and directed several 
magazines for which they wrote pamphlets and essays. In 1709 
Steele issued a magazine, “The Tattler”. It was followed by others: 
“The Spectator” (1 7 1 1 ), “The Guardian” (17 1 3 ), and “The

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Englishman”(1 713). In the latter political problems were 
d isc u sse d . P eriod ical n ew sp a p ers a lso h elp ed to spread 
information among the general public.
Joseph Addiso n 
Richard Steele
(1672-1719) 
(1672-1729)
Drama o f the 18th century 
continued traditions o f Restoration 
playwrights. Sentimental tragedies were popular with the growing 
audience. The interest in classical literature prompted many 
classical tragedies modeled on those o f ancient Rome. The drama 
o f the eighteenth century did not reach the same high level as the 
novel. One had to wait late in the century for Goldsmith and 
Sheridan, to find writers who made any permanent contribution to 
the English stage. O f a number o f reasons which might be invented 
in explanation it was at least certain that the Licensing Act o f  
1737 restricted the freedom o f expression by dramatists and drove 
a number o f good men out o f the theatre. Further, it was clear 
also that the m iddle-class com m ercial classes were gaining 
sufficient ascendancy to im pose their obtuse view s on the themes