Harry Berger Libri

The book explores the evolution of New Criticism through a reconstructed model that emphasizes ironic and suspicious close reading across various cultural contexts. It is divided into four parts: the first critiques the disassembly of New Criticism post-World War II; the second applies this model to works like Theocritus's Idylls and Spenser's The Faerie Queene; the third examines cultural representations linked to institutional changes; and the fourth analyzes Plato's dialogues, highlighting the tension between oral and written cultures. The conclusion offers a comprehensive overview of critical strategies.

This collection contains 14 essays, written from the late 1970's to the present, making available for the full scope of Berger's unique approach to ethical discourses in Shakespeare's plays.

Focusing on the interplay of gender and narrative complicity, this volume presents a deep exploration of textual interpretation through the lens of Spenser's work. The author, a prominent Spenser critic, draws on a lifetime of study to examine how these themes manifest in the text. By emphasizing close reading, the book offers a nuanced understanding of the complexities within Spenser's narratives and their broader implications in literary criticism.

Focusing on seventeenth-century Dutch still life painting, this study presents an innovative interpretive approach derived from the author's earlier work on portraiture. It aims to provide readers with fresh insights and perspectives on the still life genre, encouraging a deeper understanding and discussion of its significance and nuances.

The exploration of embarrassment is central to Shakespeare's two Venetian plays, with "The Merchant of Venice" presenting a comedic take on the theme, while "Othello" delves into its tragic implications. Although the term "embarrassment" is anachronistic, it aptly captures the emotional complexities and societal tensions portrayed in both works. The juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy highlights the multifaceted nature of human experience and social interactions in Shakespeare's narratives.

Exploring the comic and ironic elements of seventeenth-century Dutch group portraits, this study delves into the social dynamics of husbands, householders, and civic members depicted in these works. It critically analyzes Rembrandt's "The Night Watch," highlighting anomalies that challenge traditional motifs and questioning the awareness of patrons regarding these subversions. The book examines aesthetic structures, the civic guard's role, and the impact of a mercantile economy on family dynamics, culminating in a nuanced interpretation of performance anxiety and competitive posing within the genre.

Exploring the concept of structural misanthropology, this book examines its presence in the dialogues of Plato and its influence on Renaissance humanists, playwrights, and painters across Italy, England, and the Netherlands. It delves into how this perspective shapes our understanding of human nature and societal constructs through various artistic and philosophical expressions.

The book presents a groundbreaking interpretation of Plato's concept of kalos kagathos, revealing Socrates as ensnared in a complex dialogue with his interlocutors. Harry Berger, Jr. challenges conventional understandings by illustrating how Socrates is both influenced by and influences the speech of others, creating a dynamic interplay of voices. This analysis builds on decades of scholarship, offering readers a fresh perspective on the philosophical and rhetorical intricacies of Socratic dialogue.

Considers Richard III and the four plays of Shakespeare's Henriad - Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V. This book explores the effect of this linguistic mischief on the representation of all the Henriad's major figures.

Figures of a Changing World develops an account of culture change that is based on the distinction between the two rhetorical figures of metaphor and metonymy. These figures are applied both to the large-scale interpretation of tensions in culture change and to the micro-interpretation of tensions within particular texts.