Wit, Humor, and Shakspeare: Twelve Essays

A collection of twelve critical essays investigates the causes and varieties of laughter, distinguishing wit, irony, and humor and tracing physiological, imaginative, and cultural roots of comic effect. Close readings examine comic and tragic figures from clowns and fools to major tragic personalities, while considering gendered portrayals, representations of love, and the role of style and simile. Additional essays address specific characters, stage types, and debates about authorship and influence, combining literary analysis with observations on national and professional modes of expression to show how dramatic voice, character, and language produce both mirth and serious feeling.