Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors: A Psycho-Semiotic Analysis uses semiotics along psychoanalytic to offer a granular analysis of one of Shakespeare’s funniest and most interesting comedies. It is distinctive in that it offers a discussion of the basic techniques found incomic literature of all kinds and applies these techniques to events in the play.
It also offers a discussion of the basic theories of humor and a syntagmatic and paradigmatic analysis of the play.
Table of Contents:
Dedication; Epigraph; 1 Introduction ; 2 Theories of Humor; 3 Semiotics and Humor; 4 Glossary: The 45 Techniques of Humor; 5 The Comedy of Errors; 6 Coda; References; About the Author; Index
About the Author :
Arthur Asa Berger is Professor Emeritus of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts at San Francisco State University.
Review :
Arthur Asa Berger has done it again. A brilliant semiotician, a renowned humor scholar and visual artist, Berger has used all three skills for this remarkable book on Shakespeare’sComedy of Errors. Applying selected aspects of the many theories of humor, along with semiotic methods of narrative analysis, Berger shows how they make their way concretely into Shakespeare’s play, itself a theatrical essay on why we laugh—by making us laugh. This book is not only enjoyable because of Berger’s own caricature art, which he intersperses throughout, but also because he has written it in his usual fluid style, making no special technical assumptions on the part of the reader, without ever comprising the scholarly seriousness of his approach. Reading this book we are enlightened and entertained at the same time, realizing by the end that life is indeed a “comedy of errors.”—Marcel Danesi, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto.
Arthur Asa Berger is an important, versatile scholar. In his scientific work, he devotes much of his time to the study of humor and laughter. For the first time in the study of Shakespeare's comedies, he offers a unique method by which one can understand not only this play but any comedic work whether it is in theater, cinema, or television. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in Shakespearean humor or comedy and humor in general.”—Prof. Arie Sover, Communication and Humor Studies, The Open University of Israel, Author of Jewish Humor (Cambridge Scholars Press), 2021 and Editor ofTheLanguages of Humor: Verbal, Visual and Physical Humor(Bloomsbury Academic)2018.
‘Every why hath a wherefore,’ declares a character in Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors. In a humorous guide to what we find funny, Professor Berger offers us several wherefores and a catalogue of whys. Is it all about incongruity? ‘Until I know this sure uncertainty, I'll entertain the offered fallacy,’ quips another character.”—Daniel Chandler, Aberystwyth University, Wales.
“A delightful, very readable introduction to theories of humor that Berger brings to life through an analysis of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors. Insightful and funny as you, the reader, like it.”—Professor Dirk vom Lehn, King’s College London.
Arthur Asa Berger is one of the best world scholars in the study of humor, who has written seven books on various aspects of the topic. His latest work, The Comedy of Errors: A Psycho-Semiotic Analysis, deals with different theories of humor, and then explains and applies his research on the forty-five techniques of humor to the play. Although the books deals with many topics, the major part of the book is devoted to his semiotic analysis of The Comedy of Errors. In addition, his writing style is light and graceful, similar to what might find from a professor from the Sorbonne. He has a distinctive sense of humor, and his drawings are just great.”—Christo Kaftandjiev, Ph.D., Professor of Communication and Marketing Semiotics Sofia University, Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communications.
