The new Greek comedy

By Philippe-Ernest Legrand

Book Overview

Greek comedy did not end with Aristophanes. It learned to whisper, flirt, and sting. Laughs, but with sharp edges. In The new Greek comedy, Ph. E. Legrand offers lucid classical literature criticism that traces the rise of greek new comedy in the hellenistic period greece, when athens theatrical culture shifted from civic satire to domestic intrigue. Here are young lovers, wily slaves, parasitic friends, and the formidable father: types that travelled across Europe. Legrand explains how the chorus faded, how staging favoured recognisable city streets, and how comedy became an art of character, manners, and misrecognition. His account stays grounded in evidence and performance realities. With a sure historian's eye, Legrand sets aristophanes and menander side by side, then follows menander and his plays into their long afterlife: the shaping of stock characters in comedy, the mechanics of plot, and the humane observation that made these plays feel modern. You will also see the plautus and terence roots of Roman comedy emerging from Greek models, mapped with the clarity expected of an academic reference book yet written with narrative drive. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today - a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike. For a classics student study guide, for scholarly theater studies, or for anyone building a library of ancient greek theater history, Legrand's study remains a concise, authoritative companion to one of antiquity's most influential comic traditions.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9389169887
• ISBN13: 9789389169881
• Release Date: June 2019
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 568 Pages
• Weight: 1.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"