An Image of the Times. Nils-Johan Jorgensen

An Image of the Times - Nils-Johan Jorgensen


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      An Image of the Times

      AN IRREVERENT COMPANION TO BEN JONSON’S FOUR HUMOURS AND THE ART OF DIPLOMACY

      Here is a witty and learned literary excursion into the world of humour and comic literature as revealed inter alia by the works of Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Oliver Goldsmith and Henry Fielding – leading in the second half of the book to many entertaining insights and observations provided by author’s extensive experience in the world of diplomacy. An Image of the Times is a rich and fascinating mix of literary idiom, the theatre of the absurd and the comic element of the human condition.

      Importantly, it does speak to the difficulties and dilemmas facing today’s diplomatic missions as much as it has ever done - the necessary dance between reality and pragmatism, how the art of diplomacy often hinges on the quality of humour brought to bear in any particular context. As such, this thought-provoking text by retired Norwegian ambassador Nils-Johan Jørgensen could be said to offer a clever bridge between history, literature and diplomacy, creating a fascinating link between his prime sources and the world of the diplomat.

      COVER ILLUSTRATION:

      Hans Holbein the Younger, The Ambassadors. Reproduced courtesy the National Gallery, London

      RENAISSANCE BOOKS

      978-1-898823-17-9

      AN IMAGE OF THE TIMES

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      The title is taken from the Prologue to Every Man in his Humour by Ben Jonson (line 24). The jacket design is The Ambassadors, oil and tempura on oak, 1533, by Hans Holbein the Younger. With kind permission from the Image and Picture Library of the National Gallery, London.

      An Image of the Times

      An Irreverent Companion to

      Ben Jonson’s Four Humours and

      the Art of Diplomacy

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       By

      NILS-JOHAN JØRGENSEN

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      AN IMAGE OF THE TIMES:

      AN IRREVERENT COMPANION TO BEN JONSON’S FOUR HUMOURS AND THE ART OF DIPLOMACY

      First published 2015 by

      RENNAISANCE BOOKS

      PO Box 219

      Folkestone

      Kent CT20 2WP

       Renaissance Books is an imprint of Global Books Ltd

      © Nils-Johan Jørgensen 2015

      ISBN 978-1-898823-17-9

      eISBN 978-1-898823-31-5

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

       British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

      A CIP catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library

      Set in Bembo 12 on 13.5 by Dataworks

      Printed in England by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham, Wilts

       In memory of John B. Bamborough (Bam)who possessed the gift of humour

      OTHER WORKS IN ENGLISH BY THE SAME AUTHOR

      Culture and Power in Germany and Japan:The Spirit of Renewal (2006)

      Four Days in January: A Letter to Jillsan (2009)

      North of the North Wind (2011)

      East of the East Wind (2012)

      West of the West Wind (2014)

      CONTENTS

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       Acknowledgements

       Induction

Chapter 1:BEN JONSON AND HIS SOURCES
Classical literary sources (Decorum, the comedies of Plautus and Terence, the Ridiculous)
Medieval Sources: Mystery, Morality and Interlude
The Great Chain and Man as Microcosm
Ancient medical theory and Renaissance psychology
The character sketch
Early Humour plays (George Chapman, Henry Porter)
Chapter 2:HUMOROUS CHARACTERIZATION IN THE COMEDIES OF BEN JONSON
In humour
Out of humour
Volpone, Epicoene, The Alchemist, Bartholomew Fair
Chapter 3:THE INFLUENCE OF JONSON ON SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY COMEDY
Richard Brome
James Shirley
Thomas Shadwell
Colley Cibber
The Sons of Ben
Margareth Cavendish
Aphra Behn
James Miller
Oliver Goldsmith
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Chapter 4:THE INTRUSION OF HUMOROUS CHARACTERIZATION INTO THE ENGLISH NOVEL
Henry Fielding
Tobias Smollett
Chapter 5:THE MEANING OF THE COMIC
Chapter 6:NOMADIC HUMOURS
Where did the humours go
Berlin 1900
Fabulous
Hilarious
An ever-closer union
Identity mix-up
Chameleon
An exchange of notes
Visiting card
Holy See
Sisyphean diplomatic challenge
Laughter above
The laughing philosopher
Chapter 7:UNCONSCIOUS REVELATION

       Postscript

      


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