Love Song for the Life of the Mind: An Essay on the Purpose of Comedy

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LoveSongfortheLifeoftheMind An Essay on the Purpose of Comedy GeneFendt The Catholic University of America Press Washington, D.C. Copyright © 2007 The Catholic University of America Press All rights reserved The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standards for Information Science—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. ∞ L i brary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fendt, Gene, 1955– Love song for the life of the mind : an essay on the purpose of comedy / Gene Fendt. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8132-1485-6 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8132-1485-8 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Comic, The. 2. Comedy. 3. Aristotle. 4. Iphigenia (Greek mythology) 5. Tragedy. I. Title. B105.C456F46 2007 809'.917—dc22 2006021105 Metuunt cupiuntque, dolent gaudentque, et quia rectus est amor eorum, istas omnes affectiones rectas habent. ­ —De Civitate Dei 14.9 To all those whom I have not loved properly, and for Joan Kung, teacher ...