The function of humour in Roman verse satire : laughing and lying

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

The function of humour in Roman verse satire : laughing and lying

Maria Plaza

Oxford University Press, 2008, c2006

  • : pbk

Available at  / 2 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

"First published in paperback 2008" -- T.p. verso

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Maria Plaza sets out to analyse the function of humour 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 humour, and to promote a serious moral message. She argues that, while the Roman satirist needs humour for his work's aesthetic merit, his proposed message suffers from the ambivalence that humour 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.

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • 1. Object-oriented humour
  • 2. Humour directed at the persona
  • 3. Non-aligned humour
  • Epilogue: The genre devours itself

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