The Language of Greek Comedy

The contributions to this volume illustrate how the linguistic study of Greek comedy can deepen our knowledge of the intricate connections between the dramatic texts and their literary and socio-cultural environment. Topics discussed include the relationship of comedy and iambus, the world of Doric comedy in Sicily, figures of speech and obscene vocabulary in Aristophanes, comic elements in tragedy, language and cultural identity in 5th-century Athens, linguistic characterization in Middle Comedy, the textual transmission of New Comedy and the interaction of language and dramatic technique in Menander. Research in these topics and in related areas is reviewed in an extensive bibliographical essay While the main focus is on comedy, the diversity of the approaches adopted (including narratology, pragmatics, lexicology, dialectology, sociolinguistics and textual criticism) should ensure that much of the work applies to different genres and is relevant also to linguists and literary scholars.

Review:

... learned and stimulating volume ... makes an important contribution to our understanding of comedy. New England Classical Journal ... some stunning and surprisingly original perspectives ... an essential book for anyone embarking on, or involved in, research on linguistic aspects of Greek drama. The Journal of Classics Teaching