Farce, satire et science dans The Emperor of the Moon (1687) d’Aphra Behn

As suggested by its title, The Emperor of the Moon : A Farce (1687) by Aphra Behn consists of a satirical staging of the New Astronomy and, on a wider scale, of experimental science, even though, by a process of contamination, astrology, alchemy and Rosicrucianism are also inevitably targeted. Altho...

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Main Author: Florence March
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institut du Monde Anglophone 2006-10-01
Series:Etudes Epistémè
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/958
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author Florence March
author_facet Florence March
author_sort Florence March
collection DOAJ
description As suggested by its title, The Emperor of the Moon : A Farce (1687) by Aphra Behn consists of a satirical staging of the New Astronomy and, on a wider scale, of experimental science, even though, by a process of contamination, astrology, alchemy and Rosicrucianism are also inevitably targeted. Although the subject-matter is far from new, Behn deals with it in an entirely original way. Thus the play is not so much characterized by the staging of scientific phenomena as by the dramatist’s exploitation of the codes and methods common to farce, satire and the so-called New Science. I will attempt to show how the close interweaving of the generic, satirical and scientific codes results in a new, stimulating staging of the satire of science. Three main strategies prove of particular interest, as they underlie the whole play and closely connect form and content, thus providing a structuring function : the ever-increasing use of the spectacular dimension, the significance of observation, and eventually, the levelling-down strategy.
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spelling doaj-art-baa39b707e1f447295bf12cc76a5e9982025-08-20T01:55:05ZengInstitut du Monde AnglophoneEtudes Epistémè1634-04502006-10-011010.4000/episteme.958Farce, satire et science dans The Emperor of the Moon (1687) d’Aphra BehnFlorence MarchAs suggested by its title, The Emperor of the Moon : A Farce (1687) by Aphra Behn consists of a satirical staging of the New Astronomy and, on a wider scale, of experimental science, even though, by a process of contamination, astrology, alchemy and Rosicrucianism are also inevitably targeted. Although the subject-matter is far from new, Behn deals with it in an entirely original way. Thus the play is not so much characterized by the staging of scientific phenomena as by the dramatist’s exploitation of the codes and methods common to farce, satire and the so-called New Science. I will attempt to show how the close interweaving of the generic, satirical and scientific codes results in a new, stimulating staging of the satire of science. Three main strategies prove of particular interest, as they underlie the whole play and closely connect form and content, thus providing a structuring function : the ever-increasing use of the spectacular dimension, the significance of observation, and eventually, the levelling-down strategy.https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/958
spellingShingle Florence March
Farce, satire et science dans The Emperor of the Moon (1687) d’Aphra Behn
Etudes Epistémè
title Farce, satire et science dans The Emperor of the Moon (1687) d’Aphra Behn
title_full Farce, satire et science dans The Emperor of the Moon (1687) d’Aphra Behn
title_fullStr Farce, satire et science dans The Emperor of the Moon (1687) d’Aphra Behn
title_full_unstemmed Farce, satire et science dans The Emperor of the Moon (1687) d’Aphra Behn
title_short Farce, satire et science dans The Emperor of the Moon (1687) d’Aphra Behn
title_sort farce satire et science dans the emperor of the moon 1687 d aphra behn
url https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/958
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