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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Semiotics of Clowns and Clowning: Rituals of Transgression and the Theory of Laughter

The Semiotics of Clowns and Clowning: Rituals of Transgression and the Theory of Laughter

Bouissac, Paul

Paperback

Series: Bloomsbury Advances in Semiotics

LinguisticsAnthropologyGeneral Drama

ISBN10: 1472532783
ISBN13: 9781472532787
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: Jul 16 2015
Pages: 232
Weight: 0.90
Height: 0.50 Width: 6.10 Depth: 9.10
Language: English

During the last 300 years circus clowns have emerged as powerful cultural icons. This is the first semiotic analysis of the range of make-up and costumes through which the clowns' performing identities have been established and go on developing. It also examines what Bouissac terms 'micronarratives' - narrative meanings that clowns generate through their acts, dialogues and gestures.

Putting a repertory of clown performances under the semiotic microscope leads to the conclusion that the performances are all interconnected and come from what might be termed a 'mythical matrix'. These micronarratives replicate in context-sensitive forms a master narrative whose general theme refers to the emergence of cultures and constraints that they place upon instinctual behaviour.

From this vantage point, each performance can be considered as a ritual which re-enacts the primitive violence inherent in all cultures and the temporary resolutions which must be negotiated as the outcome. Why do these acts of transgression and re-integration then trigger laughter and wonder? What kind of mirror does this put up to society? In a masterful semiotic analysis, Bouissac delves into decades of research to answer these questions.

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