Here is a witty and learned literary excursion into the world of humour and comic literature as revealed inter alia by the works of Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Oliver Goldsmith and Henry Fielding – leading in the second half to some glorious insights and observations provided by author’s life experience in the world of diplomacy. It is a rich and fascinating mix of literary idiom, the theatre of the absurd and the comic element of the human condition.
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Induction
- 1. BEN JONSON AND HIS SOURCES
- Clasical Literary Sources
- Medieval sources:Mystery, Morality and Interlude
- The Great Chain and Man as Microcosm
- Ancient Medical Theory and Renaisance Psychology
- The Character Sketch
- Early Humour Plays
- 2. HUMOROUS CHARACTERIZATIONIN THE COMEDIES OF BEN JONSON
- In Humour
- Out of Humour
- Volpone, Epicoene, The Alchemist, Bartholomew Fair and The Magnetic Lady: Or, Humors Reconcil’d
- 3. THE INFLUENCE OF JONSON ON SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTHCENTURY COMEDY
- Richard Brome
- James Shirley
- Thomas Shadwell
- Colley Cibber
- The Sons of Ben
- Margaret Cavendish
- Aphra Behn
- A gentleman of Wadham College
- Oliver Goldsmith
- Richard Brinsley Sheridan
- 4. THE INTRUSION OF HUMOROUSCHARACTERIZATION INTO THEENGLISH NOVEL
- Henry Fielding
- Tobias Smollett
- 5. THE MEANING OF THE COMIC
- 6. NOMADIC HUMOURS
- Where did the humours go?
- Berlin 1900
- Fabulous
- Hilarious
- An ever closer union
- Identity mix-up
- Chameleon
- An exchange of notes
- Visiting card
- Holy See
- Sisyphean diplomatic challenge
- Laughter above
- The laughing philosophers
- 7. UNCONSCIOUS REVELATION
- Postscript
- Index
- Back Cover
Text
Audio
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