Roman Comedy

By: David Konstan

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Paperback | 14 January 2009

At a Glance

Paperback
184 Pages

Edition Type
New edition

Age
22+

Dimensions(cm)
21.59 x 13.97 x 1.07

Paperback

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This book explores the social institutions, the prevailing social values, and the ideology of the ancient city-state as revealed in Roman Comedy. "The very essence of comedy is social," writes David Konstan, "and in the complex movement of its plots we may be able to discern the lineaments and contradictions of the reigning ideas of an age."

David Konstan looks closely at eight plays: Plautus's Aulularia, Asinaria, Captivi, Rudens, Cistellaria, and Truculentus, and Terence's Phormio and Hecyra. Offering new interpretations of each, he develops a "typology of plot forms" by analyzing structural features and patterns of conventional behavior in the plays, and he relates the results of his literary analysis to contemporary social conditions. He argues that the plays address tensions that were potentially disruptive to the ancient city-state, and that they tended to resolve these tensions in ways that affirmed traditional values.

Roman Comedy is an innovative and challenging book that will be welcomed by students of classical literature, ancient social history, the history of the theater, and comedy as a genre.

Industry Reviews

"There is a striking scholarly brilliance underlying David Konstan's work. It is classical scholarship at its very best: objective, thorough, comparative, knowledgeable, and in this case, innovative and thought provoking. In eight, well-written, closely-annotated chapters (plus an introduction and conclusion), Konstan examines how six plays by Plautus and two by Terence reflect ... 'tension in values as the mainspring of the drama...'"-Theatre Studies "This is a very important book in the study of Roman comedy and, indeed, in the study of comedy and society generally... Konstan's ideas are profound; some are controversial; all are worth considering."-The Classical Bulletin "A fresh, tightly written and reasoned analysis of plays by Plautus and Terence, directed chiefly to the social and ethical implications of the plots. Konstan's goal is not social history but an interpretation of the playwright's artistry in constructing the social world of each play. His innovative approach should improve our understanding of the complex use of social tensions in comedy."-The Key Reporter

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