Humor in British Literature, From the Middle Ages to the Restoration

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Humor in British Literature, From the Middle Ages to the Restoration A Reference Guide

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Don L. F. Nilsen

ISBN: 0-313-29706-1

ISBN-13: 978-0-313-29706-9

DOI:

256 pages

Greenwood Press

Publication: 2/28/1997

List Price: $112.95 (UK Sterling Price: £77.95)

Availability: Print on demand

Media Type: Hardcover

Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4

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Description: Humor began in British literature during the Middle Ages, when Chaucer developed the storytelling tradition along with the ironies that resulted from the juxtaposition of people from different classes and points of view. Shakespeare later developed vernacular and street humor in his comedies, festive humor in his romances and histories, and dark humor in his tragedies. During the Restoration, Congreve established the Comedy of Manners. This book overviews scholarship in humor in British literature from the Middle Ages through the seventeenth century. Chapters are devoted to particular centuries, with authors listed individually within each chapter. Each entry discusses the role of humor in the author's work and includes a bibliography.

The volume begins with an introductory essay on the origins of British humor in the Middle Ages. Chapters then examine British literary humor during particular centuries. Each chapter begins with an overview of humor during that time period. Entries for individual authors follow, with each entry discussing the role of humor in the author's work and providing a bibliography of modern studies. Entries are arranged chronologically to show the development of humor over time, while an index allows alphabetical access to individual authors.

Table of Contents:

Preface
Introduction
Humour in Medieval British Literature
Humour in Fourteenth-Century British Literature
Humour in Fifteenth-Century British Literature
Humour in Sixteenth-Century British Literature
Humour in Seventeenth-Century British Literature
Index

About the Author: DON L. F. NILSEN is Professor of English Linguistics at Arizona State University and Executive Secretary of the International Society for Humor Studies. His previous books include Humor Scholarship: A Research Bibliography (Greenwood, 1993) and Humor in Irish Literature: A Research Guide (Greenwood, 1996).

LCC Class: 16


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