The Cambridge Companion to Ben Jonson

by Richard Harp, Stanley Stewart

Overview

Ben Jonson is, in many ways, the figure of greatest centrality to literary study of the Elizabethan and Jacobean period. He wrote in virtually every literary genre: in drama, comedy, tragedy and masque; in poetry, epigram, and lyric; in prose, literary criticism and English grammar. This Companion brings together leading scholars from both sides of the Atlantic to provide an accessible, up-to-date introduction to Jonson's life and works. It represents an invaluable guide to current critical perspectives, providing generous coverage not only of his plays but also his non dramatic works.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521641135
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	11/30/2000
Series:	Cambridge Companions to Literature
Pages:	236
Product dimensions:	6.18(w) x 9.33(h) x 0.91(d)

Table of Contents

Chronology of Jonson's life and dates of works; 1. True relation: the life and career of Ben Jonson Sara van den Berg; 2. Jonson's London and its theatres Martin Butler; 3. The court Leah S. Marcus; 4. Learning Robert Young; 5. Satiric styles Richard Dutton; 6. The major comedies David Bevington; 7. Late plays Richard Harp; 8. Jonson and Shakespeare Russ McDonald; 9. Jonson and the arts Stephen Orgel; 10. The folio of 1616 James Riddell; 11. Classicism John Mulryan; 12. Poetry Ian Donaldson; 13. Jonson's criticism Stanley Stewart; 12. The critical heritage Robert Evans.

Editorial Reviews

"...intelligently conservative, mistrustful of fads and grandiose gestures, plain but commanding in its use of language, teaching the present with respect for the past—in other words, a very suitable companion for Ben Jonson." Ben Jonson Journal

"This volume in the Cambridge Companion series is a helpful aid in achieving a truer picture of what [Jonson] was about.... The Cambridge contributors have effectively balanced a review of basic issues and themes with an array of particular insights which will be profitable for further discussion." Sixteenth Century Journal

"An exemplary student guide." Studies in English Literature

From the Publisher