
Aristophanes
An Introduction
James Robson(Author)
Bristol Classical Press
Published on 9. November 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
192 pages
978-0-7156-3452-3 (ISBN)
Description
This accessible introduction to the work of one of the world's greatest comic writers tackles key questions posed by Aristophanes' plays, such as staging, humour, songs, obscene language, politics and the modern translation and performance of Aristophanic comedy. The book opens up exciting and contentious areas of Aristophanic scholarship in a way that is engaging and readily comprehensible to a non-specialist audience, never losing sight of the fact that Aristophanes' plays are vibrant literary texts, designed primarily to appeal to a classical Athenian audience as pieces of living drama. Key to the book's appeal is that James Robson conceives of the plays as dynamic texts, containing a treasure trove of information not only about how they might have been performed and received in classical Athens, but also how they might be read and understood today. Most importantly, readers are given the tools and information to make their own minds up about the debates that still rage about Aristophanic comedy in the modern world.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
367 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7156-3452-3 (9780715634523)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
10/2013
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€26.49
Available for download

E-Book
10/2013
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€26.49
Available for download
Person
James Robson is Senior Lecturer in Classical Studies at the Open University, and the author of "Humour, Obscenity and Aristophanes" (2006).
Content
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Preface
Note on Greek Names and Words
1. Aristophanes and Old Comedy
2. Putting on a Show
3. Setting the Scene: Theatre Space and Costumes
4. Aristophanes the Humorist
5. The People of Aristophanes
6. Tragic Fragments
7. Taking Dirty: Aristophanic Obscenity
8. Waxing Lyrical: Aristophanes the Songwriter
9. Getting the Message: Aristophanic Politics
10. Aristophanes in the Modern World: Translation and Performance
Notes
Bibliography and Abbreviations
Index of Principal Passages Cited
General Index