Polemical Humor at the Start of the French Wars of Religion

FAIN: FT-59549-12

E. Bruce Hayes
University of Kansas, Lawrence (Lawrence, KS 66045-7505)

This project focuses on a specific historic instance of destructive humor found in polemical pamphlets and theater in the first part of the French Wars of Religion. The ultimate goal is to produce a book-length study that will consider the evolution of partisan theater and pamphlets, the two most popular forms of propaganda during this time of conflict. Understanding how forms of popular entertainment were transformed into propaganda devices in sixteenth-century France will help to further our comprehension of the conflicts that helped define an extraordinarily bloody century. In addition to history and literary studies, this work will be of interest to the fields of humor and theater studies. It also will make an important contribution to peace and conflict studies, uncovering new links between humor and violence.

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