Read Aristophanes' Old-and-New Comedy: Volume I: Six Essays in Perspective

Aristophanes' Old-and-New Comedy: Volume I: Six Essays in Perspective

Kenneth J. Reckford

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Description:This startling and original study emerged from Kenneth Rockford's wish to vindicate Aristophanes' "Clouds" against detractors. As a result of years of rereading and teaching Aristophanes, he realized that the "Clouds" could not be defended in an analysis of that play in isolation. A better approach, he decided, would be to define a comic perspective within which Aristophanes' comedies in general as well as the "Clouds" in particular could be appreciated. This first volume of Reckford's defense examines the comedies as a whole in a series of defining essays, each with its own dominant concern and method of approach. The author begins by exploring not the usual questions of Aristophanes' political attitudes and his place in the development of comedy, but rather the festive, celebratory, and Dionysian nature of Old Comedy. Here and throughout the book Reckford illustrates Aristophanes' form of comedy with analogies to Rabelais, Shakespeare, Charlie Chaplin, "Alice in Wonderland," and "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." In the remaining essays Reckford goes beyond the usual Freudian approaches, reinterpreting the comic catharsis as a clarification of wishing and hoping. He also explores the growth of plays from comic idea to comic performance, in ways reflected in Tom Stoppard's plays today. Only then are Aristophanes' basic political loyalties described, as well as the place of his old- and-new comedy within the history of the genre. In a book that is as much about comedy generally as it is about Aristophanes specifically, some plays are treated more fully than others. Reckford discusses the "Wasps" at length, comparing the symbolic transformations and comic recognitions in the play with dream experience and dream interpretation. He also analyzes the "Peace," the "Acharians," the "Birds," and the "Frogs." Reckford's vindication of the "Clouds" will appear in the second volume of his defense, "Clouds of Glory." Reckford's playful translations preserve the puns and anachronisms of Aristophanes, maintaining the playwright's comic feeling and tone. Combining traditional classical scholarship with a variety of literary, psychological, and anthropological approaches, he has written a study that will appeal to both the academic audience and the general reader who cares about comedy. Originally published in 1987. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with Aristophanes' Old-and-New Comedy: Volume I: Six Essays in Perspective. To get started finding Aristophanes' Old-and-New Comedy: Volume I: Six Essays in Perspective, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

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ISBN: 1469639858

Description: This startling and original study emerged from Kenneth Rockford's wish to vindicate Aristophanes' "Clouds" against detractors. As a result of years of rereading and teaching Aristophanes, he realized that the "Clouds" could not be defended in an analysis of that play in isolation. A better approach, he decided, would be to define a comic perspective within which Aristophanes' comedies in general as well as the "Clouds" in particular could be appreciated. This first volume of Reckford's defense examines the comedies as a whole in a series of defining essays, each with its own dominant concern and method of approach. The author begins by exploring not the usual questions of Aristophanes' political attitudes and his place in the development of comedy, but rather the festive, celebratory, and Dionysian nature of Old Comedy. Here and throughout the book Reckford illustrates Aristophanes' form of comedy with analogies to Rabelais, Shakespeare, Charlie Chaplin, "Alice in Wonderland," and "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." In the remaining essays Reckford goes beyond the usual Freudian approaches, reinterpreting the comic catharsis as a clarification of wishing and hoping. He also explores the growth of plays from comic idea to comic performance, in ways reflected in Tom Stoppard's plays today. Only then are Aristophanes' basic political loyalties described, as well as the place of his old- and-new comedy within the history of the genre. In a book that is as much about comedy generally as it is about Aristophanes specifically, some plays are treated more fully than others. Reckford discusses the "Wasps" at length, comparing the symbolic transformations and comic recognitions in the play with dream experience and dream interpretation. He also analyzes the "Peace," the "Acharians," the "Birds," and the "Frogs." Reckford's vindication of the "Clouds" will appear in the second volume of his defense, "Clouds of Glory." Reckford's playful translations preserve the puns and anachronisms of Aristophanes, maintaining the playwright's comic feeling and tone. Combining traditional classical scholarship with a variety of literary, psychological, and anthropological approaches, he has written a study that will appeal to both the academic audience and the general reader who cares about comedy. Originally published in 1987. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with Aristophanes' Old-and-New Comedy: Volume I: Six Essays in Perspective. To get started finding Aristophanes' Old-and-New Comedy: Volume I: Six Essays in Perspective, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

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Aristophanes' Old-and-New Comedy: Volume I: Six Essays in Perspective

Aristophanes' Old-and-New Comedy: Volume I: Six Essays in Perspective

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