Greek Comedy and IdeologyIn comedy, happy endings resolve real-world conflicts. These conflicts, in turn, leave their mark on the texts in the form of gaps in plot and inconsistencies of characterization. Greek Comedy and Ideology analyzes how the structure of ancient Greek comedy betrays and responds to cultural tensions in the society of the classical city-state. It explores the utopian vision of Aristophanes' comedies--for example, an all-powerful city inhabited by birds, or a world of limitless wealth presided over by the god of wealth himself--as interventions in the political issues of his time. David Konstan goes on to examine the more private world of Menandrean comedy (including two adaptations of Menander by the Roman playwright Terence), in which problems of social status, citizenship, and gender are negotiated by means of elaborately contrived plots. In conclusion, Konstan looks at an imitation of ancient comedy by Moliére, and the way in which the ideology of emerging capitalism transforms the premises of the classical genre. |
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action Aeschylus ancient Antiphila argues Aristophanes Assemblywomen Athenian Athens audience Aulularia Bacchis Bdelycleon birds Blepsidemus Callipides Cario Chaerea character Charisius child chorus Chremes Chremylus citizen city-state civic classical Cléante Clinia Cnemo's Comedy comic concubine contrast courtesan courts daughter Davus desire Dionysus dowry dramatic erotic Euclio Eunuch Euripides father Frogs Glycera golden age Gomme and Sandbach Gorgias Greek Grouch Hades Harpagon Heracles hetaera hoopoe household husband idea ideal identity ideological jurors lovers Lysistrata male marriage Menander Menander's Menandrean Menedemus miser Molière Moschio motive narrative nature nothos overdetermined Pamphila Parmeno passion Pataecus peace Penia Phaedria Philocleon Pisthetaerus play plot Plutus poet Polemo political raped relation remarks represented rich role scene seems sexual Shorn Girl sion slave social soldier solidarity Sostratus status structure suggests sycophant tension Terence Terence's Thais theme Thraso tion utopian vision Wasps wealth wife woman women Xanthias young Zeus