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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 822.33
EAN num: 9781589880252
ISBN number: 1589880250
Label: Paul Dry Books
Manufacturer: Paul Dry Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 423
Printing Date: November 01, 2005
Publishing house: Paul Dry Books
Sale Popularity Level: 130593
Studio: Paul Dry Books
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Product Description:
Grammar-school students in Shakespeare's time were taught to recognize the two hundred figures of speech that Renaissance scholars had derived from Latin and Greek sources (from amphibolgia through onomatopoeia to zeugma). This knowledge was one element in their thorough grounding in the liberal arts of logic, grammar, and rhetoric, known as the trivium. In Shakespeare's Use of the Arts of Language Sister Miriam Joseph writes: 'The extraordinary power, vitality, and richness of Shakespeare's language are due in part to his genius, in part to the fact that the unsettled linguistic forms of his age promoted to an unusual degree the spirit of creativeness, and in part to the theory of composition then prevailing. . . The purpose of this study is to present to the modern reader the general theory of composition current in Shakespeare's England.' The author then lays out those figures of speech in simple, understandable patterns and explains each one with examples from Shakespeare. Her analysis of his plays and poems illustrates that the Bard knew more about rhetoric than perhaps anyone else! Originally published in 1947, this book is a classic.
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Rated by buyers -
This book examines the influence of a typical grammar school education on the word power and appreciation of the likes of Shakespeare. It is presumed that Shakespeare enjoyed a reasonable degree of schooling and in the last section of this wonderful book, the author outlines the typical course in language and its uses that a student would cover.
Firstly it certainly puts to shame the watered down nonsense that passes for English grammar and clear thinking in schools today. Secondly, it helps us to understand just where some of the theoretical genius of Shakepeare developed from.
A wonderful work. It has thrown me further into the study of language..
Rated by buyers -
The best thing this reprint needs is a Glossary.
As our current custom in education through college ignores rhetoric, and logic, altogether, those terms and concepts once second hand to everyone with a high school education are now completely unknown to us, and so a supplemental glossary is sought.
We are now not taught rhetoric nor logic in order the more easily to control us, and to keep us as happy consumers of waste products. Read the transcript of the recent Vice Presidential "debates" and compare them with The Complete Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858.
What is a debate? What is logic? What is Rhetoric?
Get thee to a glossary, go!
As this book reveals, in Shakespeare's day select small boys arose from before sunrise until after sunset to study rhetoric, and logic, if they were not serfs out in the fields for those same hours.
This present work was originally published over sixty years ago, written by a Catholic nun at a time any woman was rare in higher education, yet who spent the war years carefully researching this comprehensive work.
In Shakespeare's day those small boys fortunate enough for schooling studied rhetorical forms using Biblical citations. This work demonstrates rhetorical forms using Shakespearean citations, which are marvelous and impel us to further Shakespearean studies.
How often have you read Timon of Athens (Arden Shakespeare) or The Oxford Shakespeare: The Tragedy of Coriolanus (The Oxford Shakespeare: Oxford World's Classics), or delved into the delights of the comic characters as in the comedies like Love's Labour's Lost (Arden Shakespeare: Third Series) or the Histories? Here we find with Sister Miriam Joseph a compelling introduction to all his plays and poems.
As if apologetic of her formidable and nearly insurmountable scholarship regarding the history of rhetoric which informs the very first Part of this tome, Sister Miriam repeatedly explains her purpose. In the Preface she writes: "The contribution of this present work is to present in organized detail essentially complete the general theory of composition current during the Renaissance (as contrasted with special theories for particular forms of composition) and the illustration of Shakespeare's use of it (p. viii)."
In her very first chapter on the General Theory of Composition she writes: "This study undertakes to establish four points: first, that the general theory of composition and of reading current in Shakespeare's England is to be found in one form in the contemporary works on logic and rhetoric combined; second, that it is to be found in another form in the work of the figurists which, surprisingly, treats of approximately the same matter as do the logic and rhetoric texts combined; third, that these two forms, though outwardly different, are fundamentally alike; fourth, that the theory in its entire scope, whether in the one form or in the other, is, with two or three negligible exceptions, illustrated in Shakespeare's plays and poems, where it contributes to the power and richness of his language and even of his thought, while it accounts for certain peculiar differences between the characteristic mode of expression of his time and of ours. Included also in this study are the vices of language, treated by the figurists in connection with the figures of grammar, and the fallacies and captious arguments, treated by the logicians in connection with correct forms of reasoning. Shakespeare makes capital use of them to create humour and to depict villainy and low life (p. 4)."
That selection might at least give you a taste of her style of writing in this opening section. Readers are encouraged to skip to the section of Shakespearean selections, which are more engaging for the modern (or post-literate) reader, as they are more brief sound-bites than this marvelously elaborate syntax.
On page thirteen Sister Miriam Joseph stresses in the midst of a meticulous presentation, as if to urge our continued reading: "To show how Shakespeare used the whole body of logical-rhetorical knowledge of his time is essentially the undertaking of the present study."
The Introductory Part One, consisting really of the one chapter on the General Theory of Composition, very carefully and minutely therefore examines the history and development of rhetoric and logic derived from Aristotle (for whom we and Saint Thomas Aquinas must forever thank the Muslim Averroes: His Life, Works, and Influence (Great Islamic Writings)). This may be of lesser interest to the casual reader, who may do well to skip to part two. In fact, Sister Miriam politely provides this same suggestion:
"The essential general theory of composition and of reading current in Shakespeare's England, as expressed in the definitions, illustrations, and comments of the Tudor logicians and rhetoricians, is ... Read More
Rated by buyers -
Paul Dry publishers should be commended for bringing this classic book back into print. I believe it had been out of print for decades and the fortunate few who had a copy or who were lucky enough to uncover a used copy, cherished this book as if it were a treasure. Sister Miriam Joseph displays an encyclopedic knowledge of Shakepeare's entire works including all the plays, the Sonnets & the narrative poems. She demonstrates Shakespeare's use of a wide variety of rhetorical terms as well as showing his use of the forms of argument, logic, and persuasion. Shakespeare's use of the rhetorical terms and the other "arts of language" is often the best example of anyone, ever! I really believe this book is of great value to a wide variety of readers and needs to be on more college and high school book lists; it is that good. Specifically, it will be of value to any writers; serious students of Shakespeare; or anyone interested in improving their communication skills. Close and careful study of this book will be time well spent.
Rated by buyers -
Two years ago I paid $145 for this unabridged version, which had gone out of print. At that time, the only version in print had been eviscerated of several hundred pages highlighting Shakespeare's own examples of rhetorical craft. Now the the unabridged version is back at an amazingly affordable price and remains the best work yet for those who want to use or teach this invaluable science of style.
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