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13
votes
2answers
339 views
Were Shakespeare's plays written for “high culture” or “entertain the bawdy masses” during his time?
Currently, the plays of William Shakespeare are viewed as great English literature, and viewed as "high culture". However I heard someone say that Shakespeare was writing "bawdy, violence filled plays ...
9
votes
3answers
250 views
Would the original readers of Lewis Carroll's books have made connections between the experiences in the books and drug use?
Modern readers of Lewis Carroll's books (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass) will undoubtedly make some connections between radical changes in perspective following the ...
5
votes
0answers
61 views
What literary or philosophical works did the ancient Egyptians have that have influenced ancient civilizations or the modern word?
We all know of the Roman and Greek literary and philosophical works which still resonate to this day and read by many. As a an ancient and long old civilization, what works of equal importance do we ...
3
votes
0answers
26 views
What was the character of the Sylva Sylvarum that differentiated it from previous works?
The Sylva Sylvarum (1627) is recognized as the first 'treatise on natural history'. Some regard it as the most-complete work, for its day.
But as early as 70AD, other works existed, such as Pliny's ...
2
votes
0answers
44 views
How accurate is the Historical evidence use in the book Non-Zero?
Someone recommended the book Non Zero. It looks very interesting but one well written negative review points out that while the author's previous book (The Moral Animal) was well researched and ...
1
vote
2answers
117 views
Were Civil-War-era Americans better writers than modern Americans? [closed]
Whenever I hear people recite speeches, letters, and historical accounts from Americans who lived through the Civil War, I'm struck by the exceptional quality of their writing. Compared to modern ...
1
vote
2answers
64 views
Is there a basis for the character of Morgan le Faye from the King Arthur tale?
What real life person, persons, or events was Morgan le Faye, cast as an evil enchantress in most King Arthur tales, based on?
1
vote
0answers
52 views
Understanding what these reference shortforms represent [closed]
In the book "Giordano BRUNO His Life and Thought" by Dorothea Waley Singer, chapter 7 references often have a form of
18 Doc. Ven. XV.
or
49 Docc. Rom. XX, XXI.
How do I decipher their ...
