Roman Comedy

David Konstan

Published by Cornell University Press 1986

Roman Comedy

David Konstan

https://doi.org/10.7591/9781501731754

Overview
Contents

About this book

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...

Author / Editor information

David Konstan is Jane A. Seney Professor of Greek at Wesleyan University.

Reviews

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.

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....'.

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.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	1
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	7
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	9
Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	11
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	15
Aulularia: City-State and Individual Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	33
Asinaria: The Family Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	47
Captivi: City-State and Nation Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	57
Rudens: City-State Utopia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	73
Cistellaria: Noncitizen Order Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	96
Phormio: Citizen Disorder Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	115
Hecyra: Ironic Comedy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	130
Truculentus: Satiric Comedy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	142
Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	165
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	169
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	179

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Audience: General/trade;
Pages
- Main content: 184
Keywords: Literary Studies; Ancient History & Classical Studies

eBook

Published: August 6, 2018
ISBN: 9781501731754