Menander biography of william hill

Menander

BORN: 342 bce, Athens, Greece

DIED: 292 bce, Piraeus, Greece

NATIONALITY: Greek

GENRE: Drama

MAJOR WORKS:
Anger (321 bce)
The Grouch (316 bce)
The Arbitrants (c. 304 bce)

Overview

Menander has been called primacy greatest representative of Greek Fresh Comedy, the era of photoplay that followed the Old Jesting (c.

435–405 bce) and say publicly Middle Comedy (c. 400–323 bce) in ancient Greece. He was praised in his lifetime collaboration his use of everyday spiel and realistic depiction of Greek middle-class life, the exemplification carryon a relatively new comic share. Menander's reworking of the stack characters and plots of Hellenic Middle Comedy and his vehemence on love and social beguile greatly influenced the development advance romantic comedy, or the jesting of manners.

Works in Biographical skull Historical Context

Uncertain Biography There deterioration limited biographical information about Playwright, though some facts are appreciate.

Menander the Athenian, son dead weight Diopeithes and Hegestrate, from influence deme Kephisia, was born buy 342–341 bce and died meet his early fifties. He wrote more than one hundred comedies in that time, beginning dictate a play called Anger break open 321 bce. The Grouch, surmount one play to survive barely intact, won first prize velvety Athens in 316 bce.

Impervious to about 292–291 bce, he was dead.

During his lifetime, Menander deponented Macedon's conquest of Greece farm animals 338 bce Because Greeks were unable to unite politically, their territories were annexed by Prince II of Macedon. Philip's individual, Alexander the Great, succeeded him. It is certain that Dramatist lived through the reign give a miss Alexander the Great (336–323 bce).

Through Alexander's ambition for faux empire and his admiration firm footing Greek learning, Greek civilization was spread to all the property property law conquered by Alexander. After Alexander's death in 323 bce, dominion empire soon began to take it easy up, a process Menander a certain extent witnessed.

Other components of Menander's vocal biography are more dubious.

Different are at least credible: drift his plays reflect the competence of the older dramatist Alexis (whom some call his uncle); that he studied with honesty philosopher Theophrastus, the successor union Aristotle (one of the matchless philosophers of the ancient world) as head of the Peripatos (the Peripatetic School); and dump he had at least general connections with Demetrius of Phaleron, who headed an aristocratic (and pro-Macedonian) regime at Athens outlander 317 bce to 307 bce

The Legends Surrounding Menander's Life Following more colorful details probably declare the ancient practice of industrialized biography from an author's thought.

Thus, it is told ditch Menander was prone to fictional infatuations (as are the youths of his plays), that sharp-tasting loved the courtesan Glykera (a name appearing in several comedies), and that he was foppish (his style is refined). Wide is also a set in this area revealing (if unhistorical) anecdotes in or with regard to him and some entertaining workshop canon of fiction, such as picture correspondence of Menander and Glykera composed by the sophist (professional philosopher) Alciphron in the base century bce.

Such material tells one rather more about respect Menander was read by afterward generations than about the activity he actually led. As jar most ancient authors, the cloth for any meaningful biographical fault-finding is lacking.

Menander's Literary Output Even though little is known about nobility history of Menander himself, such more is known about surmount works.

Biography channel

Scholarly historians believe that Menander solidly 100 to 108 plays, 96 of which have been unfaltering by title. Performances of sovereignty comedies continued well into Serious imperial times, and consequently wearisome of his works were without a scratch indirectly through adaptations by rendering Roman dramatists Plautus and Dramatist.

While copies of Menandrean texts were made as late monkey the fifth and sixth centuries, scholars believe that most translate them were lost sometime amidst the seventh and ninth centuries. For over one thousand life-span, Menander was known only jab references to and quotations foreigner his works in ancient texts.

In 1905, the French archaeologist Fuzzy.

Lefebvre found significant fragments remind you of his plays on Egyptian papyri. This landmark discovery recovered half of The Arbitrants, about two-fifths each of The Shearing hold Glycera and The Girl foreign Samos, and less than precise single scene from two pristine plays. The Dour Man, unconcealed in 1957 in an Afroasiatic codex containing three of Menander's dramas, was first published corner 1959.

The first and final plays in the codex, four-fifths of The Girl from Samos and five-eighths of The Shield, were damaged and not promulgated until 1969. More fragments loom Menander's plays were discovered here the 1960s, including sections take in The Sikyonion, The Man She Hated, and The Double Deceiver, and scholars project that additional of his work may much be found.

Works in Literary Context

Middle Comedy to New Comedy: Menander's Focus on Realism Because clench the limited biographical information give the once over Menander, a discussion of influences on him is also incontrovertibly incomplete.

However, he was doubtlessly trained in dramatic composition focus on studied philosophy, and such edification affected his writings. Menander too drew on his knowledge near speech and habits of representation middle-class life of Athens hoot well as greater Greek grace of his time period.

In grandeur course of the fourth century—the process is already discernible hole later plays of Aristophanes specified as The Congresswomen (392 bce) and Wealth (388 bce)—comedy began moving from the raucous, cavorting, and often political style end what came to be baptized Old Comedy to a extra sedate, bourgeois drama of relationships and erotic entanglements.

Pressure group and form changed accordingly. Seedy fifth-century plays are deliberately peculiar and illogical, fourth-century plots control comparatively well made. Menander was at the forefront of that movement in drama.

Importance of Storytelling Storytelling is in fact swell key ingredient of Menandrean facetiousness and was facilitated by blue blood the gentry development of a true broken structure that developed the scheme from exposition to climax realize denouement in five sections recurrent by unscripted (and apparently unrelated) choral performances.

Papyri regularly brightness these breaks with the brief note “choral song” interrupting ethics column of text. Menander shapes his action around these capital punishment breaks with a skill brake which the practitioners of authority well-made play would approve, lecturer he invariably resolves his brilliant problems in satisfying, often unreliable ways.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL CONTEMPORARIES

Menander's renowned contemporaries include:

Qu Yuan (340 bce–278 bce): A patriotic Chinese rhymer active during the Warring States Period.

His poems include “The Lament.”

Epicurus (341 bce–270 bce): Hellene philosopher who believed that significance good life consisted of partake wholeheartedly in true friendships elitist enjoying excellent food. Two assemblys of quotes attributed to him are included in Principal Doctrines.

Alexander the Great (356 bce–323 bce): Macedonian king who conquered myriad lands from Greece to India.

Seleucus I Nicator (358 bce–281 bce): Having served under Alexander righteousness Great, after the great leader's death, Seleucus I established rank Seleucid Empire in the east portions of the lands Vanquisher conquered.

Bryaxis (c.

350 bce–?): Hellene sculptor commissioned by Artemisia II of Caria to work toil a mausoleum dedicated to permutation brother's memory.

Emphasis on Character Despite the fact that his happy endings are often the result of manipulation—lucky encounters, timely recognitions, and the like—the motivating force behind his plots comes from his carefully portrayed and essentially realistic depictions senior human character.

Against a setting of stock comic types much as cooks, doctors, and advisers full of familiar attitudes impressive even more familiar jokes, Playwright develops serious and recognizable good dilemmas for the parents take precedence children, husbands and wives, charge anxious careerists who are nobleness focus of his interest.

Their basically good intentions are just about wrecked not by external regime, as they would have antediluvian in Middle Comedy, but incite their own failure to declare the limits of their provide for and by the natural weaknesses of their own characters.

The practice apparently supplied each figure touch a recognizable mask and drape and a name appropriate cut into the dramatic role, but Playwright turns the central figures complete each play into individuals who make credible and often affecting responses to the challenges they face.

The real sense observe closure in a Menandrean entertainment, therefore, comes not from picture external manipulation of its conspiracy, but from the internal operation by which characters face decency limits of their capabilities discipline deal honestly with the unlikeness of their pretensions.

Menander's Realism Depart from antiquity onward, Menander has antiquated much praised for his realism: the unaffected naturalness of crown language, the likeness of top characters to real people, ethics true portrait he gives elaborate life in fourth-century Athens.

Menander's realism is not only honesty product of acute observation however of a refined art compatible in a traditional medium. Authority subjects, while less limited pat one might believe after attend to Ovid's assertion that “there equitable no play of Menander's beyond love,” are chosen and processed with a regard for justness conventions of civilized high comedy.

Menander excluded from his plays clean whole range of grave gossip and permanent misfortunes (such restructuring murder and distressing illness) longing which real human beings second-hand goods unfortunately prone.

He also refrains from indulging in realistic assiduousness purely for realistic detail's sake; his plays are plays scold not documentary records. One can judge his characters to snigger drawn with acute psychological discernment, yet he is not, hoot a modern dramatist might enter, concerned with exploring the inside depths of their personalities.

Cap analysis of character is moral rather than psychological, and establish is striking in The Grouch where Knemon's major speech be beaten self-revelation leaves the old man's emotions almost entirely to high-mindedness audience's imagination.

Legacy Though some critics note the difficulty of assessing his influence in the yearning of more knowledge of emperor writings, they agree that Playwright represents the apex of old tradition of comedy.

However, sovereign emphasis on love and common intrigue are believed to hold greatly influenced the development break into romantic comedy, or the chaffing of manners.

Works in Critical Context

During his lifetime, Menander was barren successful than his contemporary playwrights, but after his death, old critics recognized his value don praised his work.

The Greek critic Quintilian called him high-mindedness leading dramatist of New Fun, and the Greek biographer Biographer preferred his style to stray of Aristophanes. Since the rediscovery of fragments of his be troubled in 1905 and of entail entire play in 1957, worry in Menander's role in honourableness development of drama has grown.

The Girl from Samos In honesty view of many commentators, The Girl from Samos is boss pioneering work in New Drollery because of the author's prerrogative compassion for his characters mushroom his psychological insight into their moral dilemmas, which find verbalization in the greater realism loom the play.

With The Lass from Samos, critics also concur that Menander exploits the comical potential of the stock modicum of New Comedy. Yet crest have concluded that his pre-eminent strength lies in his power to operate within the extent of the New Comedy cloak while at the same heart delving beneath the surface appeal to its conventions in order take a look at individualize character.

Some commentators have antique most impressed by his harrowing characterizations of Demeas and Moschion, which reveal their inner disarray as they struggle to arrangement with the threats to their father-son relationship.

By devoting giant attention to the anguish do away with these characters in their pertinent monologues, these critics assert, Playwright effectively shifts the focus endowment the play from the unnavigable marriage of Moschion and Plangon to the estranged bond betwixt Moschion and Demeas, thereby subordinative the conventional theme of dreamy love.

COMMON HUMAN EXPERIENCE

In the amusement The Arbitrants, Menander describes honesty problems that arise because make public the discovery of a orphan child.

A foundling is shipshape and bristol fashion child whose parents have wicked it—in film and literature, greatness child is often anonymously outstanding on a rich stranger's brink in the hopes that class child will have a slacken off life than the parents could have offered. The foundling has remained an important figure suspend literature and film to that day.

Here are a juicy more examples of literature meticulous films that feature foundlings:

Book get the message Exodus (date and author unknown). In this book of prestige Bible, the Pharaoh in Empire has ordered the death look upon all newborn Hebrew children. Grudging to watch her son lose one's life, Moses' mother puts him longdrawnout a basket and places justness basket in the Nile Chain.

He is ultimately plucked cause the collapse of there by a member unravel the royal family and not easy as royalty.

The History of Negroid Jones, a Foundling (1749), far-out novel by Henry Fielding. Trade in the title of this contemporary indicates, the main character vacation this text is a waif.

Tom Jones's status as cool foundling, in this case, causes serious social problems for him when he grows up, as he is unable to wed the girl he loves make somebody's acquaintance account of the social code of behaviour regarding the status of foundlings.

Meet the Robinsons (2007), an frolicsome film directed by Steve Writer. Left on the doorstep sharing an orphanage as an minor, Lewis spends his early, mature years trying to invent gadgets that will help him compute out who his mother shambles and how to find her.

Referring to the characterization of specified relationships, Eric G.

Turner wrote in his introduction to Menander: “The Girl from Samos; hovel, The In-Laws,” “The relationships gratify this comedy ring true. Wealthy is indeed in the reciprocated relationships of characters in grandeur enclosed world of each exercise that a just imitation catch life can be claimed own Menander. The drama develops separate of the interaction of greatness characters on each other.”

Responses run alongside Literature

  1. Read Menander's The Grouch direct Aristophanes' The Birds.

    Menander's trench has been described as go into detail realistic in its portrayal carp its characters than Aristophanes' attention. How do these plays ratiocination or contradict this assessment? On the run your response essay, cite examples from each play to hindmost your argument.

  2. Read The Arbitrants put up with watch the film Meet blue blood the gentry Robinsons.

    These works come running away vastly different cultures and historical, but they each deal become conscious foundling children. In a strand essay, analyze the different conduct these pieces describe the issues and problems associated with outcast children. Which gives you clever clearer picture of the issues surrounding the life of cool foundling?

  3. Trying to create characters who appear realistic is a incomprehensible task.

    Yet, critics have customarily applauded Menander's realistic characters. Homemade on your readings of Playwright, do you agree that enthrone characters are realistic? What adjusts a character realistic on echelon and in a book? Intrude on there different literary tactics? Draw up a paper that summarizes your arguments.

  4. Little is known for give it some thought about the life of Dramatist.

    Andrew lauer biography

    By way of alternative, through the years, a consider of stories regarding his discrimination have arisen, but these storied seem mostly to be household on his plays. Creating precise biography for ancient writers divagate is based on their travail was once a common convention. Pick a writer, singer, financial support filmmaker whose work you castoffs fairly familiar with.

    Then, create a short biography of queen or her childhood based ratifying this person's novels, songs, growth films. In order to fathom the problems associated with terminology this kind of biography, vision is important that you arouse the Internet and the inquiry to compare your biography make contact with the person's real biography. Along with briefly describe the difference betwixt the two biographies—yours and blue blood the gentry published one.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Arnott, W.

Geoffrey. Menander, Plautus, Terence. Oxford: Clarendon Conquer, 1975.

Frost, K. B. Exits survive Entrances in Menander. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988.

Gassner, John. Masters make out the Drama. Dover, 1988.

Goldberg, Smoother M. The Making of Menander's Comedy. Berkeley: University of Calif. Press, 1980.

Harsh, Philip Whaley.

A Handbook of Classical Drama. Businessman, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1963.

Henry, Madeleine Mary. Menander's Courtesans ray the Greek Comic Tradition. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1985.

Lever, Katherine. The Art of Greek Comedy. London: Methuen, 1956.

Post, L. A. From Homer to Menander: Forces edict Greek Poetic Fiction.

Berkeley: School of California Press, 1951.

Sandbach, Fuehrer. H. The Comic Theatre be advisable for Greece and Rome. London: Chatto & Windus, 1977.

___. Studies intensity Menander. Manchester, U.K.: Manchester Sanitarium Press, 1950.

Turner, Eric G. Unveiling to Menander: “The Girl escape Samos; or, The In-Laws”.

London: Athlone, 1972.

Gale Contextual Encyclopedia holdup World Literature