Dundreary

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Lord Dundreary is a fictional character from the 19th-century stage play Our American Cousin by Tom Taylor. First appearing in 1858, Lord Dundreary is a bumbling, long-winded, and nonsensical aristocrat, providing comic relief through his malapropisms and absurd logic. The character was originally a minor role, but actor Edward Askew Sothern's interpretation was so popular that it became central to the play's success.

Character Overview

Lord Dundreary is characterized by his exaggerated side whiskers, or "Dundreary whiskers," which later gave the name to the style of facial hair known as Dundreary whiskers. His speech is marked by mispronunciations and confused sentences, which became known as "Dundrearyisms." These elements of his character made him a prototype for the "stage Englishman" in American theatre, embodying a kind of lovable foolishness that was highly entertaining to audiences of the time.

Cultural Impact

The popularity of Lord Dundreary led to the term "Dundrearyism" entering the lexicon to describe his peculiar style of speech. The character's influence extended beyond the theatre, with his style of whiskers becoming fashionable among men of the era. Dundreary became a cultural icon in both the United Kingdom and the United States, symbolizing a particular kind of aristocratic silliness.

In Popular Culture

Lord Dundreary's legacy has persisted in various forms. The character has been referenced in other literary and theatrical works and has inspired characters in films and television who embody similar traits of befuddled, aristocratic humor.

See Also

• Our American Cousin
• Edward Askew Sothern
• Theatre of the United States
• Theatre of the United Kingdom