The Greek playwright Aristophanes (active 427ndash;386 BCE) is often portrayed as the poet who brought stability; discipline; and sophistication to the rowdy theatrical genre of Old Comedy. In this groundbreaking book; situated within the affective turn in the humanities; Mario Telograve; explores a vital yet understudied question: how did this view of Aristophanes arise; and why did his popularity eventually eclipse that of his rivals?Telograve; boldly traces Aristophanesrsquo;s rise; ironically; to the defeat of his play Clouds at the Great Dionysia of 423 BCE. Close readings of his revised Clouds and other works; such as Wasps; uncover references to the earlier Clouds; presented by Aristophanes as his failed attempt to heal the audience; who are reflected in the plays as a kind of dysfunctional father. In this proto-canonical narrative of failure; grounded in the distinctive feelings of different comic modes; Aristophanic comedy becomes cast as a prestigious object; a soft; protective cloak meant to shield viewers from the debilitating effects of competitorsrsquo; comedies and restore a sense of paternal responsibility and authority. Associations between afflicted fathers and healing sons; between audience and poet; are shown to be at the center of the discourse that has shaped Aristophanesrsquo;s canonical dominance ever since.
#1882303 in eBooks 2014-10-10 2014-10-10File Name: B01DPPWKTK
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