Names as metaphors in Shakespeare's comedies / Grant W. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Grant W., 1937- author.

Contributor:

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Library (University of Pennsylvania)

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Fund.

Series:

Series in literary studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Onomastics in literature.

Characters and characteristics.

Humorous plays.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Plays--Selections.

Shakespeare, William.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Characters.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Criticism and interpretation.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xxiv, 347 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Wilmington, Delaware : Vernon Press, [2021]

Summary:

"Names as Metaphors in Shakespeare's Comedies presents a comprehensive study of names in Shakespeare's comedies. Although names are used in daily speech as simple designators, often with minimal regard for semantic or phonological suggestiveness, their coinage is always based on analogy. They are words (i.e. signs) borrowed from previous referents and contexts, and applied to new referents. Thus, in the literary use of language, names are figurative inventions and have measurable thematic significance: they evoke an association of attributes between two or more referents, contextualize each work of literature within its time, and reflect the artistic development of the writer. In the introduction, Smith describes the literary use of names as creative choices that show the indebtedness of authors to previous literature, as well as their imaginative descriptions (etymologically and phonologically) of memorable character types, and their references to cultural phenomena that make their names meaningful to their contemporary readers and audience. This book presents fourteen essays demonstrating the analytical models explained in the introduction. These essays focus on Shakespeare's comedies as presented in the First Folio. They do not follow the chronological order of their composition; instead, the individual essays give special attention to differences between the plays that suggest Shakespeare's artistic development, including the varied sources of his borrowings, the differences between his etymological and phonological coinages, the frequency and types of his topical references, and his use of epithets and generics. This book will appeal to Shakespeare students and scholars at all levels, particularly those who are keen on studying his comedies. This study will also be relevant for researchers and graduate students interested in onomastics."--Page [4] of dust jacket.

Contents:

The Tempest

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Measure for Measure

The Comedy of Errors

Much Ado About Nothing

Love's Labour's Lost

The Merchant of Venice

A Midsummer Night's Dream

As You Like It

The Taming of the Shrew

All's Well That Ends Well

Twelfth Night, or What You Will

The Winter's Tale.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [305]-313) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Horace Howard Furness Memorial Fund.

ISBN:

1648890180

9781648890185

OCLC:

1250511722

Publisher Number:

99993038366