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OverviewSome of the best evidence for the early development of literary criticism before Plato and Aristotle comes from Athenian Old Comedy. Playwrights such as Eupolis, Cratinus, Aristophanes and others wrote numerous comedies on literary themes, commented on their own poetry and that of their rivals, and played around with ideas and theories from the contemporary intellectual scene. How can we make use of the evidence of comedy? Why were the comic poets so preoccupied with questions of poetics? What criteria emerge from comedy for the evaluation of literature? What do the ancient comedians' jokes say about their own literary tastes and those of their audience? How do different types of readers in antiquity evaluate texts, and what are the similarities and differences between 'popular' and 'professional' literary criticism? Does Greek comedy have anything serious to say about the authors and texts it criticizes? How can the comedians be related to the later literary-critical tradition represented by Plato, Aristotle and subsequent writers? This book attempts to answer these questions by examining comedy in its social and intellectual context, and by using approaches from modern literary theory to cast light on the ancient material. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Dr Matthew Wright (University of Exeter, UK)Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic Dimensions: Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.80cm , Length: 23.40cm Weight: 0.540kg ISBN: 9781780930299ISBN 10: 1780930291 Pages: 256 Publication Date: 24 May 2012 Audience: College/higher education , Undergraduate , Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Table of ContentsPreface Reading comic criticism Literary contests Novelty The metaphorical language of criticism The comedian as reader Appendix Checklist of play titles Notes Bibliography of works cited Index of passages cited General IndexReviewsThis is a book full of interesting ideas, one that scholars and students should consult often. -- Charles Platter * The New England Classical Journal * This book will be of interest to all scholars of ancient Greek drama, but it is also accessible to a broader scholarly audience... I recommend this intelligent and thought-provoking book to any scholar interested in the possibility of a bookish culture of readers and literary critics in classical Athens. -- Judith Fletcher, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada * Bryn Mawr Classical Review * Das buch wird die Diskussion um die Alte Komodie in begrüßenswerter Weise befruchten, nicht zuletzt wel die fragmentarische überlieferung durchgängig in größtem Umfang miteinbezogen wird. Daß die Titel der Stücke grundsätzlich in englischer Version gegeben werden, mutet provinziell an. -- Ernst-Richard Schwinge * GNOMON * This is a book full of interesting ideas, one that scholars and students should consult often. - Charles Platter, The New England Classical Journal Author InformationMatthew Wright is Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Exeter and Blegen Research Fellow at Vassar College. His other publications include Euripides: Orestes (2008) and Euripides' Escape-Tragedies (2005). Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |