The Masks of Menander: Sign and Meaning in Greek and Roman Performance

David Wiles

ISBN 10: 0521543525 / ISBN 13: 9780521543521

Published by Cambridge University Press, 2004

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Masks of Menander: Sign and Meaning in Greek and Roman Performance
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521543525
• ISBN 13: 9780521543521
• Binding: Paperback / softback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 486 grams

About this title

Synopsis

This book provides a detailed analysis of the conventions and techniques of performance characteristic of the Greek theatre of Menander and the subsequent Roman theatre of Plautus and Terence. Drawing on literary and archaeological sources, and on scientific treatises, David Wiles identifies the mask as crucial to the actor's art, and shows how sophisticated the art of the mask-maker became. He also examines the other main elements which the audience learned to decode: costume, voice, movement, etc. In order to identify features that were unique to Hellenistic theatre he contrasts Greek New Comedy with other traditions of masked comedy, and shows how different Roman conventions of performance rest upon different underlying assumptions about religion, marriage and class. David Wiles offers theatre historians and classicists a radical new approach to reading play texts. His book will also be useful to archaeologists seeking to understand what masks mean and how Greek and Roman theatres were used.

Book Description

In this detailed analysis of the contentions and techniques of performance which characterised the Greek theatre of Menander and subsequent Roman theatre. David Wiles offers a radical new approach to reading play texts. He identifies the mask as crucial to the actor's art and examines other main elements which audiences learned to decode.