{"product_id":"the-death-of-comedy-paperback","title":"The Death of Comedy - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eErich Segal\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a grand tour of comic theater over the centuries, Erich Segal traces the evolution of the classical form from its early origins in a misogynistic quip by the sixth-century B.C. Susarion, through countless weddings and happy endings, to the exasperated monosyllables of Samuel Beckett. With fitting wit, profound erudition lightly worn, and instructive examples from the mildly amusing to the uproarious, his book fully illustrates comedy's glorious life cycle from its first breath to its death in the Theater of the Absurd. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn exploration of various landmarks in the history of a genre that flourished almost unchanged for two millennia, \u003ci\u003eThe Death of Comedy\u003c\/i\u003e revisits the obscenities and raucous twists of Aristophanes, the neighborly pleasantries of Menander, the tomfoolery and farce of Plautus. Segal shows how the ribaldry of foiled adultery, a staple of Roman comedy, reappears in force on the stages of Restoration England. And he gives us a closer look at the \u003ci\u003eschadenfreude\u003c\/i\u003e--delight in someone else's misfortune--that marks Machiavelli's and Marlowe's works. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt every turn in Segal's analysis--from Shakespeare to Molière to Shaw--another facet of the comic art emerges, until finally, he argues, \"the head conquers and the heart dies\" Letting the intellect take the lead, Cocteau, Ionesco, and Beckett smother comedy as we know it. The book is a \u003ci\u003etour de force\u003c\/i\u003e, a sweeping panorama of the art and history of comedy, as insightful as it is delightful to read.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 589\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 x 6 x 9 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 30, 2003\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52503200334131,"sku":"9780674012479","price":100.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/dCtOaDFPVk1sU1J2TUdDTHoxNHYxQT09.webp?v=1760165810","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/the-death-of-comedy-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}