Author Description

Introduction -- The Public Sphere As A Theatrical Arena Of Mocking Contest: Comedy, Mask, Laughter. The Public And Its Masks: Permanent Hyper-critique And Hypocritical Performance; Nietzsche's Intuitions: From Theatre Through Humanist Philology To Richard Wagner, Or The Genealogy Of The Modern World As A Stage; Ridicule As Public Weapon -- The Rebirth Of Theatre As Comedy Out Of The Spirit Of The Byzantium. The Byzantine Spirit And Its Sources; Transmitting, Receiving And Nurturing The Byzantine Spirit; The Rise Of Theatre In Venice -- The Effect Mechanism Of Commedia Dell'arte: Visions And Realities Of Commedification. Commedia Dell'arte: Schismogenic Sub-plots And Irresistible Stock Types; Shakespeare: The Tragedy Of World History Being A Comedy; Representing Representation: Visionary Images Of Commedia Dell'arte -- The Rebirth Of Commedia Dell'arte As The Avant-garde. The Rebirth Of Pierrot As Suffering Victim; Obsessed With Paris And Public Fame: Richard Wagner, The Mimomaniac Revolutionary; Pierrot And Pulcinella In Between Paris And Petersburg: The Avant-garde Of Diaghilev And Meyerhold -- Conclusion. Árpád Szakolczai. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [311]-328) And Indexes.