Behind the mask : character and society in Menander / Angela M. Heap.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Heap, Angela M., author.

Series:

Bloomsbury Collections - Classical Studies and Archaeology 2019.

Bloomsbury Collections - Classical Studies and Archaeology 2019

Classical literature and society

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Menander, of Athens.

Literature and society.

History.

Technique.

Criticism and interpretation.

Greece.

Literary studies: classical, early & medieval| BIC.

Menander, of Athens--Criticism and interpretation.

Menander.

Menander, of Athens--Technique.

Classical drama (Comedy)--History and criticism.

Classical drama (Comedy).

Literature and society--Greece--History--To 146 B.C.

Local Subjects:

Literary studies: classical, early & medieval| BIC.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 195 pages).

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.

System Details:

text file

Summary:

"This new study of Menander casts fresh light not only on the techniques of the playwright but also on the literary and historical contexts of the plays. Menander (342/1-292/1 BCE) wrote over a hundred popular comedies, several of which were adapted by Plautus and Terence. Through them, he was a major influence on Shakespeare and Molière. However, his work survived only in excerpts and quotation until some significant texts reappeared in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries on papyrus. The mystery of their loss and rediscovery has raised key questions surrounding the transmission of these and other Greek texts. Theatrical masks from the fourth century BCE discovered on the island of Lipari now also provide important material with which this book examines how the plays were originally performed. A detailed investigation of their historical setting is offered which engages with recent debates on the importance of social status and citizenship in Menander's plays. The techniques of characterization are also examined, with particular focus on women, slaves and power relationships in his Epitrepontes. It appears that the audience was invited, sometimes subversively, behind the mask of this sophisticated comedy to discover that people do not always conform to literary expectations and social norms."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

1. The Treasure on the Rock: Menander and the masks and figurines from Lipari

2. All the World's a Stage: Menander in performance

3. Alexander, Aristophanes and Beyond: Menander in context

4. Women in Epitrepontes: Habrotonon and Pamphile

5. Slaves in Epitrepontes: Habrotonon, Onesimos, Syros and Daos

Conclusion

Glossary

Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Compliant with Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Content is displayed as HTML full text which can easily be resized or read with assistive technology, with mark-up that allows screen readers and keyboard-only users to navigate easily.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Electronic reproduction. London : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019. Available via World Wide Web. Access limited by licensing agreement.

ISBN:

9781350103139

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.