The public mirror : Moliere and the social commerce of depiction / Larry F. Norman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Norman, Larry F.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Molière, 1622-1673--Criticism and interpretation.

Molière.

Authors, French.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (235 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1999.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Though much beloved and widely produced, Molière's satirical comedies pose a problem for those reading or staging his works today: how can a genre associated with biting caricature and castigation deliver engaging theater? Instead of simply dismissing social satire as a foundation for Molière's theater, as many have done, Larry F. Norman takes seriously Molière's claim that his satires are first and foremost effective theater. Pairing close readings of Molière's comedies with insightful accounts of French social history and aesthetics, Norman shows how Molière conceived of satire as a "public mirror" provoking dynamic exchange and conflict with audience members obsessed with their own images. Drawing on these tensions, Molière portrays characters satirizing one another on stage, with their reactions providing dramatic conflict and propelling comic dialogue. By laying bare his society's system of imagining itself, Molière's satires both enthralled and enraged his original audience and provide us with a crucial key to the classical culture of representation.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part One. Creation

Part Two. Recognition

Part Three. Dramaturgy

Conclusion

Selected Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-221) and index.

ISBN:

9786612738487

9781282738485

1282738488

9780226591537

0226591530

OCLC:

656841507