Description

Book Synopsis

Comedy in Literature and Popular Culture: From Aristophanes to Saturday Night Live explores works of comedy from the past 2,500 years.

James V. Morrison discusses works including those of Aristophanes and Plautus, Shakespeare and Moliere, and modern comic writers, performers, and cartoonists, such as Thomas Nast, P. G. Wodehouse, Charlie Chaplin, and Jerry Seinfeld, asking the following questions:

  • Is comedy a mirror of our lives? Is it âœfunny âcuz itâs true?â Or is it funny because it ignores reality?
  • Should we distinguish between the plot of a comic play and the jokes found in it? Are the jokes just there to make us laugh or are the jokes as essential as the plot?
  • Do memories of satirical portrayals on the comic stage displace recollections of the historical person?

By juxtaposing works from different cultures and time periods, the book demonstrates a universal recourse to certain familiar techniques, situations, and char

Comedy in Literature and Popular Culture

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    A Paperback by James V. Morrison

    £36.99

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    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Wed 9 Sep 2026.

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      Book details

      Publisher Taylor & Francis
      Published 12/23/2024
      ISBN-13 9781032763248
      978-1032763248
      ISBN-10 1032763248
      Also in:
      ELT & Literary Studies Literary theory

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Comedy in Literature and Popular Culture: From Aristophanes to Saturday Night Live explores works of comedy from the past 2,500 years.

      James V. Morrison discusses works including those of Aristophanes and Plautus, Shakespeare and Moliere, and modern comic writers, performers, and cartoonists, such as Thomas Nast, P. G. Wodehouse, Charlie Chaplin, and Jerry Seinfeld, asking the following questions:

      • Is comedy a mirror of our lives? Is it âœfunny âcuz itâs true?â Or is it funny because it ignores reality?
      • Should we distinguish between the plot of a comic play and the jokes found in it? Are the jokes just there to make us laugh or are the jokes as essential as the plot?
      • Do memories of satirical portrayals on the comic stage displace recollections of the historical person?

      By juxtaposing works from different cultures and time periods, the book demonstrates a universal recourse to certain familiar techniques, situations, and char

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