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Author Lape, Susan, 1965-

Title Reproducing Athens : Menander's comedy, democratic culture, and the Hellenistic city / Susan Lape
Published Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, ©2004

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Description 1 online resource (xiii, 294 pages)
Contents Narratives of resistance and romance : democracy and comedy in the early Hellenistic Period -- Reproducing democracy in oligarchic and autocratic Athens -- Making citizens in comedy and court -- The ethics of democracy in Menander's Dyskolos -- The politics of sexuality in drama in Democratic Athens : the case of Menander's Samia -- The Mercenary romance : gender and civic education in the Perikeiromenē and Misoumenos -- Trials of masculinity in democratic discourse and Menander's Sikyōnioi
Summary Reproducing Athens examines the role of romantic comedy, particularly the plays of Menander, in defending democratic culture and transnational polis culture against various threats during the initial and most fraught period of the Hellenistic Era. Menander's romantic comedies--which focus on ordinary citizens who marry for love--are most often thought of as entertainments devoid of political content. Against the view, Susan Lape argues that Menander's comedies are explicitly political. His nationalistic comedies regularly conclude by performing the laws of democratic citizen marriage, thereby promising the generation of new citizens. His transnational comedies, on the other hand, defend polis life against the impinging Hellenistic kingdoms, either by transforming their representatives into proper citizen-husbands or by rendering them ridiculous, romantic losers who pose no real threat to citizen or city. --From publisher's description
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-278) and indexes
Notes Print version record
Subject Menander, of Athens -- Knowledge and learning
Menander, of Athens -- Political and social views
SUBJECT Menander, of Athens -- Political and social views
Menander, of Athens fast
Subject Politics and literature -- Greece -- Athens
Political plays, Greek -- History and criticism
Democracy in literature.
Comedy.
Politics and literature -- Greece -- History -- To 1500
DRAMA -- Ancient, Classical & Medieval.
PERFORMING ARTS -- Theater -- History & Criticism.
Learning and scholarship
Comedy
Democracy in literature
Intellectual life
Literature
Political and social views
Political plays, Greek
Politics and government
Politics and literature
Komedies.
Grieks.
Politieke aspecten.
SUBJECT Athens (Greece) -- Intellectual life
Athens (Greece) -- Politics and government
Athens (Greece) -- In literature
Subject Greece
Greece -- Athens
Genre/Form History
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9781400825912
1400825911
9780691115832
0691115834