Greek comedy flourished in the fifth and fourth centuries BC, both in and beyond Athens. Aristophanes and Menander are the best-known writers whose work is in part extant, but many other dramatists are known from surviving fragments of their plays. This sophisticated but accessible introduction explores the genre as a whole, integrating literary questions (such as characterisation, dramatic technique or diction) with contextual ones (for example audience response, festival context, interface with ritual or political frames). In addition, it also discusses relevant historical issues (political, socio-economic and legal) as well as the artistic and archaeological evidence. The result provides a unique panorama of this challenging area of Greek literature which will be of help to students at all levels and from a variety of disciplines but will also provide stimulus for further research.

'As with all the volumes in this series, there are notes on further reading to each chapter, an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index. The volume is intended for students at all levels and in various disciplines, by no means only classicists, and for specialists and researchers in various fields. It is the most up-to-date and comprehensive survey of a field of study significant in many ways beyond the purely literary and theatrical.'

Stuart James Source: Reference Reviews

'The Cambridge Companion to Greek Comedy achieves success by combining consistent excellence on the part of the contributors with a well-conceived and well-executed editorial plan.'

Source: Greece and Rome

'This Companion offers not just an introduction to comedy but a useful guide to the scholarship on comedy. … This volume is considerably more ambitious and authoritative than many so-called Companions. It immediately establishes itself as the standard work on Greek comedy, and it will be widely read and consulted by students and scholars alike. … It is one of the most interesting books on Greek drama to have appeared for many years, and it conveys a clearer sense of what komoidia was than any other introductory study of the genre.'

Matthew Wright Source: Classical Review

'All in all, this is a superb companion: a comprehensive and rich collection that will serve as an invaluable resource for students and specialists alike. It is a work full of clever and challenging essays …'

E. P. Moloney Source: Phoenix