Poetaster: Ben Jonson

Set in Ancient Rome, "Poetaster" offers one of the first and most subtle statements in English of the Augustan cultural ideal. Jonson contrasts Augustus' wise rule with an English polity dominated (like the stage) by malice, intrigue and envy. This text examines these different strands so skilfully interwoven by Jonson, and argues for a reassessment of "Poetaster" as one of the most ideologically interesting of all early modern plays. The accompanying explanatory notes guide the reader through the personal and political illusions which gave the play its immediate satirical impact.

Author: Tom Cain
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Published: 08/15/1996
Series: Revels Plays
Pages: 304
Weight: 1lbs
Size: 8.46h x 5.43w x 0.96d
ISBN: 9780719016370
Revised Edition