Illusions at the Theatre
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Tom Stern
Abstract
The concept of illusion has long been associated with the theatre. Sometimes this has had positive connotations (of escape, dream or pleasant intoxication), but more often than not it is used as a prelude to some charge or complaint (notably of lies, deception, cheating). Some philosophers have argued that, in fact, there are no illusions at the theatre, that the term is completely inappropriate. This paper argues that the concept of illusion at work in these claims is not univocal. In fact, I argue, there are a number of very different phenomena which go by the name of ‘illusion’, when applied to theatre. By exploring these different phenomena, their relation to each other and their relation to the charge of deception, I claim we can get clearer about what we see at a theatrical performance – and about what we think we see.
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© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Articles
- Drama, Theatre, and Philosophy: An Introduction
- Notes toward The Philosophy of Theatre
- Philosophical Theatre: Some Reflections on the Concept
- Thinking/Tragedy/Thinking Tragedy: Remarks on the Fate of Theory on Stage
- Dramatic Measures: Comedy as Philosophical Paradigm
- Is the Theatre a Zombie? On the Successful Failures of Émile Zola
- Illusions at the Theatre
- Thinking Theatres beyond Sight: From Reflection to Resonance
- Performing Democracy
- Actorship, parrhesia, and Representation: Remarks on Theatricality and Politics in Hobbes, Rousseau, and Diderot
- Reviews
- Keith Brown and Jim Miller. A Critical Account of English Syntax: Grammar, Meaning, Text. Edinburgh Textbooks on the English Language ‒ Advanced. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2016, 296 pp., £ 80.00 (hb)/£ 24.99 (pb).
- Craig Williamson (trans.). With an introduction by Tom Shippey. The Complete Old English Poems. The Middle Ages Series. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017, lvii + 1189 pp., $ 59.95/£ 52.00.
- Kari Anne Rand.The Index of Middle English Prose: Index to Volumes I–XX. Cambridge: Brewer, 2014, ix + 603 pp., £ 95.00. Patrick J. Horner.The Index of Middle English Prose: Handlist XXI: Manuscripts in the Hatton and e Musaeo Collections, Bodleian Library, Oxford. Cambridge: Brewer, 2014, xx + 112 pp., £ 60.00. Angela M. Lucas. The Index of Middle English Prose: Handlist XXII: Manuscripts in Christ’s, Emmanuel, Jesus, Selwyn and Sidney Sussex Colleges, Peterhouse and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Cambridge: Brewer, 2016, xxiv + 173 pp., £ 60.00. S. J. Ogilvie-Thomson. The Index of Middle English Prose: Handlist XXIII: The Rawlinson Collection, Bodleian Library, Oxford. Cambridge: Brewer, 2017, xl + 367 pp., £ 75.00.
- Henry Ansgar Kelly. The Middle English Bible: A Reassessment. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016, xiv + 349 pp., numerous tables, $ 69.95/£ 45.50.
- Alpo Honkapohja. Alchemy, Medicine, and Commercial Book Production: A Codicological and Linguistic Study of the Voigts-Sloane Manuscript Group. Texts and Traditions 9. Turnhout: Brepols, 2017, xv + 249 pp., 57 figures, 3 plates, 20 tables, € 80.00.
- Verena Olejniczak Lobsien. Shakespeares Exzess: Sympathie und Ökonomie. Berlin: Berlin University Press, 2015, 488 pp., € 38.00.
- Andreas Höfele. No Hamlets: German Shakespeare from Nietzsche to Carl Schmitt. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016, 352 pp., 17 illustr., £ 55.00.
- Stefan Horlacher (ed.). Transgender and Intersex: Theoretical, Practical, and Artistic Perspectives. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016, xviii + 306 pp., 17 illustr., £ 60.00/$ 95.00.
- Serenella Iovino and Serpil Oppermann (eds.). Material Ecocriticism. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2014, 376 pp., $ 40.00. Alexa Weik von Mossner (ed.). Moving Environments: Affect, Emotion, Ecology, and Film. Waterloo: Wilfried Laurier University Press, 2014, 287 pp., $ 42.99.
- Books Received
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Articles
- Drama, Theatre, and Philosophy: An Introduction
- Notes toward The Philosophy of Theatre
- Philosophical Theatre: Some Reflections on the Concept
- Thinking/Tragedy/Thinking Tragedy: Remarks on the Fate of Theory on Stage
- Dramatic Measures: Comedy as Philosophical Paradigm
- Is the Theatre a Zombie? On the Successful Failures of Émile Zola
- Illusions at the Theatre
- Thinking Theatres beyond Sight: From Reflection to Resonance
- Performing Democracy
- Actorship, parrhesia, and Representation: Remarks on Theatricality and Politics in Hobbes, Rousseau, and Diderot
- Reviews
- Keith Brown and Jim Miller. A Critical Account of English Syntax: Grammar, Meaning, Text. Edinburgh Textbooks on the English Language ‒ Advanced. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2016, 296 pp., £ 80.00 (hb)/£ 24.99 (pb).
- Craig Williamson (trans.). With an introduction by Tom Shippey. The Complete Old English Poems. The Middle Ages Series. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017, lvii + 1189 pp., $ 59.95/£ 52.00.
- Kari Anne Rand.The Index of Middle English Prose: Index to Volumes I–XX. Cambridge: Brewer, 2014, ix + 603 pp., £ 95.00. Patrick J. Horner.The Index of Middle English Prose: Handlist XXI: Manuscripts in the Hatton and e Musaeo Collections, Bodleian Library, Oxford. Cambridge: Brewer, 2014, xx + 112 pp., £ 60.00. Angela M. Lucas. The Index of Middle English Prose: Handlist XXII: Manuscripts in Christ’s, Emmanuel, Jesus, Selwyn and Sidney Sussex Colleges, Peterhouse and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Cambridge: Brewer, 2016, xxiv + 173 pp., £ 60.00. S. J. Ogilvie-Thomson. The Index of Middle English Prose: Handlist XXIII: The Rawlinson Collection, Bodleian Library, Oxford. Cambridge: Brewer, 2017, xl + 367 pp., £ 75.00.
- Henry Ansgar Kelly. The Middle English Bible: A Reassessment. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016, xiv + 349 pp., numerous tables, $ 69.95/£ 45.50.
- Alpo Honkapohja. Alchemy, Medicine, and Commercial Book Production: A Codicological and Linguistic Study of the Voigts-Sloane Manuscript Group. Texts and Traditions 9. Turnhout: Brepols, 2017, xv + 249 pp., 57 figures, 3 plates, 20 tables, € 80.00.
- Verena Olejniczak Lobsien. Shakespeares Exzess: Sympathie und Ökonomie. Berlin: Berlin University Press, 2015, 488 pp., € 38.00.
- Andreas Höfele. No Hamlets: German Shakespeare from Nietzsche to Carl Schmitt. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016, 352 pp., 17 illustr., £ 55.00.
- Stefan Horlacher (ed.). Transgender and Intersex: Theoretical, Practical, and Artistic Perspectives. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016, xviii + 306 pp., 17 illustr., £ 60.00/$ 95.00.
- Serenella Iovino and Serpil Oppermann (eds.). Material Ecocriticism. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2014, 376 pp., $ 40.00. Alexa Weik von Mossner (ed.). Moving Environments: Affect, Emotion, Ecology, and Film. Waterloo: Wilfried Laurier University Press, 2014, 287 pp., $ 42.99.
- Books Received
