The Function of Humour in Roman Verse Satire: Laughing and Lying

ISBN-13: 9780199281114 / Angielski / Twarda / 2006 / 384 str.

Maria Plaza

Opis

Maria Plaza sets out to analyze the function of humor in the Roman satirists Horace, Persius, and Juvenal. Her starting point is that satire is driven by two motives, which are to a certain extent opposed: to display humor, and to promote a serious moral message. She argues that, while the Roman satirist needs humor for his work's aesthetic merit, his proposed message suffers from the ambivalence that humor brings with it. Her analysis shows that this paradox is not only socio-ideological but also aesthetic, forming the ground for the curious, hybrid nature of Roman satire.

Recenzje

I mean to recommend Plaza's ruse of power (her book) as good-humoured literary criticism, easily our funkiest account of Roman humour, and trust that my judgement may count as reasonable.

O autorze

Maria Plaza is Junior Research Fellow, Gothenburg University.