Radical Comedy in Early Modern England: Contexts, Cultures, Performances

Identifying a pattern of social defiance, this book explores the radical nature of early modern English comedy and uses comedy as a means to observe changes in human behavior common to the Renaissance. Bowers demonstrates how the satirical comedic actions found within Dekker's pamphlets, Harington's discourse, and the dramas of Marston, Middleton, and Jonson are all driven by energetic comic elements to criticize authority and implement social change.