Plautus and the English Renaissance of Comedy [Paperback]

The fifteenth-century discovery of Plautuss lost comedies brought him, for the first time since antiquity, the status of a major author both on stage and page. It also led to a reinvention of comedy and to new thinking about its art and potential. This book aims to define the unique contribution of Plautus, detached from his fellow Roman dramatist Terence, and seen in the context of that European revival, first as it took shape on the Continent. The heart of the book, with special focus on English comedy ca. 1560 to 1640, analyzes elements of Plautine technique during the period, as differentiated from native and Terentian, considering such points of comparison as dialogue, asides, metadrama, observation scenes, characterization, and atmosphere. This is the first book to cover this ground, raising such questions as: How did comedy rather suddenly progress from the interludes and brief plays of the early sixteenth century to longer, more complex plays? What did Plautus mean to playwrights and readers of the time? Plays by Shakespeare, Jonson, and Middleton are foregrounded, but many other comedies provide illustration and support.Richard F. Hardin is professor emeritus in the Department of English at the University of Kansas.

Plautus and the English Renaissance of Comedy represents an impressive attempt at broadening the understanding of the mutual relationship between two extremely influential strands of comic drama in Europe. Listy filologick?

This invaluable book traces the influence of the Roman dramatist Plautus on the subsequent course of European culture and literature. Hardin (emer., Univ. of Kansas) shows how Plautus's comedies impacted the course of drama and that Latin in vulgaria was taught in grammar school for centuries, especially during the Renaissance. A widening reception of Plautus, spreading from quattrocento Italy northward, shows a growing appreciation for what laughter for the sake of laughter can achieve. Plautus's plays