Humor in British Literature, From the Middle Ages to the Restoration: A Reference Guide

Humour began in British literature when Chaucer developed the storytelling tradition along with the ironies that resulted from the juxtaposition of people from different classes and points of view. Shakespeare later developed vernacular and street humour in his comedies, festive humour in his romances and histories, and dark humour in his tragedies. During the Restoration, Congreve established the Comedy of Manners. This book overviews scholarship in humour in British literature from the Middle Ages through the 17th century. The volume begins with an introductory essay on the origins of British humour in the Middle Ages. Chapters then examine British literary humour during particular centuries. Each chapter begins with an overview of humour during that time period. Entries for individual authors follow, with each entry discussing the role of humour in the author’s work and providing a bibliography of modern studies. Entries are arranged chronologically to show the development of humour over time, while an index allows alphabetical access to individual authors.