Shakespeare's Rhetoric of Comic CharacterFirst published in 1985. In this revisionist history of comic characterization, Karen Newman argues that, contrary to received opinion, Shakespeare was not the first comic dramatist to create self-conscious characters who seem 'lifelike' or 'realistic'. His comic practice is firmly set within a comic tradition which stretches from Plautus and Menander to playwrights of the Italian Renaissance. |
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Page vii
... Measure for Measure II, ii, 162—87 Comic plot conventions in Measure for Measure Menander and New Comedy Plautus and Terence The enchantments of Circe 'And all their minds transfigur'd': Shakespeare's early comedies Magic versus time ...
... Measure for Measure II, ii, 162—87 Comic plot conventions in Measure for Measure Menander and New Comedy Plautus and Terence The enchantments of Circe 'And all their minds transfigur'd': Shakespeare's early comedies Magic versus time ...
Page 5
... Measure for Measure because its critical history provides perhaps the best example of the conflict between character and convention which has dogged criticism of the comedies. Even today commentators persist in rebuking Shakespeare for ...
... Measure for Measure because its critical history provides perhaps the best example of the conflict between character and convention which has dogged criticism of the comedies. Even today commentators persist in rebuking Shakespeare for ...
Page 6
... the lifelike and natural; critics and readers have too often accepted that illusion as real because Shakespeare was a master of illusion. 1 The inward springs: Measure for Measure II, ii, 162—87 6 Shakespeare's Rhetoric of Comic Character.
... the lifelike and natural; critics and readers have too often accepted that illusion as real because Shakespeare was a master of illusion. 1 The inward springs: Measure for Measure II, ii, 162—87 6 Shakespeare's Rhetoric of Comic Character.
Page 7
Karen Newman. 1 The inward springs: Measure for Measure II, ii, 162—87 Goethe has ingeniously compared Shakespeare's characters to watches ... Measure as our example. Consider the following soliloquy from Measure for Measure which dramatizes.
Karen Newman. 1 The inward springs: Measure for Measure II, ii, 162—87 Goethe has ingeniously compared Shakespeare's characters to watches ... Measure as our example. Consider the following soliloquy from Measure for Measure which dramatizes.
Page 8
Karen Newman. Consider the following soliloquy from Measure for Measure which dramatizes Angelo's recognition of his desire for the novice Isabella:2 From thee: even from thy virtue! What's this? What's this? Is this her fault, or mine ...
Karen Newman. Consider the following soliloquy from Measure for Measure which dramatizes Angelo's recognition of his desire for the novice Isabella:2 From thee: even from thy virtue! What's this? What's this? Is this her fault, or mine ...
Contents
1 | |
7 | |
2 Comic plot conventions in Measure for Measure | 20 |
3 Menander and New Comedy | 30 |
4 Plautus and Terence | 42 |
5 The enchantments of Circe | 57 |
Shakespeares early comedies | 77 |
As You Like It and Twelfth Night | 94 |
8 Mistaking in Much Ado | 109 |
9 Shakespeares rhetoric of consciousness | 121 |
Notes | 129 |
Index of plays discussed | 149 |
General index | 151 |
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Common terms and phrases
action Angelo Angelo’s soliloquy Antipholus of Syracuse Arden edition argues audience Beatrice behavior Benedick Berowne Cesario characterization Charisios Claudio Comedy of Errors comic characters comic plots comic soliloquy complex conventions courtly creating critics discovery disguise dramatic dramatists Drusilla Duke Duke’s E. M. W. Tillyard Elizabethan emphasize essay Evanthius example features of dialogue fiction Flamminio Gl’Ingannati Hamlet Hero Hero’s imagined inner debate intrigue Isabella Italian comedy Knemon language Lelia lifelike lines linguistic London Love’s lovers Lucrezio M. C. Bradbrook Malvolio marriage Measure for Measure Menander Menander’s metaphor Midsummer Night’s Dream mind mistaken identity mistaken identity plot monologue Olivia person Plautine Plautus play play’s problem comedies pronouns prosopopoeia Pseudolus psychological recognized Renaissance comedy represent rhetoric of consciousness rhetorical questions role romance Rosalind Salingar scene self—address sense Shakespeare Shakespeare Survey Shakespeare’s characters soliloquy Sosia suggests Terence Terence’s theme thou tradition tragedy trans Twelfth Night Viola words